PROFESSIONALIZATION OF EDUCATION: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

ASHISH KUMAR CHAUBEY

Assistant Professor
Udai Pratap Autonomous College Varanasi UP.
ashishjobvns@gmail.com
&
VINIT KUMAR TIWARI
Assistant Professor
Arihant College of Education, Barreta Punjab.
Vinit.dsvv1990@gmail.com
&
DR. RANI DUBEY
Ex. HOD: Department of Education
Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya
Sagar M.P.
ranidubey63@yahoo.com

Abstract

Professionalization is the social process by which an employ cultivate, purify, explode,

dedicate himself towards their profession. The purpose of Professional development or
Professionalization of education is related to academic development of teacher student and
Gmanagement of learning environment for self regulation in the perspective of accountability.
We try to move towards Professionalization from British period but in crude way, at that time
we suffered from a lack of support or assistance, and was not adequately rewarded or
recognized for their efforts to provide proper opportunities. The remarkable period is
Radhakrishnan commission (1948) .Two important and purified effort are the Education
Commission (1964-66), and the National Policy on Education (1986), where subsequent efforts
are made to modify education and adopt professionalization. These developments have obvious
implications for education and teacher professionalism. The rationale underlying this view is
that upgrading the teaching occupation will lead to improvements in the motivation and
commitment of teachers, which in turn, will lead to improvements in teachers’ performance,
which will ultimately lead to improvements in student learning. In India professionalization
creates new opportunities in the context of teaching learning. The possession and use of expert
or specialist knowledge; responsibility to subject and wider society through voluntary
commitment to a set of values that goes beyond those inherent in any employment relationship;
and the exercise of autonomous thought judgment. Professionals are organized, trained,
qualified or regulated, and creative. By identify these characteristics of professionals that
appear to have fairly universal application through activity.

Keywords: Opportunities, Problems, Professionalization, Education, Teacher Education.

INTRODUCTION

In teacher education Teaching is a profession-indeed a noble one, conceptually and apex. It is

also related with other professions because of its multiple dimensions. Teachers are the
greatest professional power involved in holistic human development. Generally the concept
that good teachers are born, has been rejected and it is accepted that most of them are made,
as product of good teaching, learning process. This is because it has now been considered that

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teaching is not a job, but is an inspired profession or we can say a passion. The Education in
21st century has become more and more complex and puts most of responsibilities on the
shoulder of a teacher and teacher educators. Nowadays highly competitive environment
comes having great promises for career development of aspirant professionals, with many
career choices specialized education to match their ones necessity. Education not only raises
area of any stream but is one of the most popular channels linking the new world with society
at large, where excellence has no limits and intelligence is an endless path of growth.
Training of the practitioners is thoughtful to be one of the most important merit of a
profession. Therefore, in order to be suitable for teachers to their roles, a healthy professional
training is needed.

Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ―A profession is a vocation founded upon specialized

educational training, the purpose of which is to supply disinterested counsel and service to
others, for a direct and definite compensation, wholly apart from expectation of other
business gain.

Need of Professional Ethics: Professional ethics for teachers refers to the guidelines of
morality, humanity which a teacher has to be followed in teaching profession with the
students, course-curriculum and their environment. Teaching profession is a socially accepted
having a great responsibility. It is expected to develop a set of values and ethical principles
and norms to guide the human behavior. The Ethical principle gives the base to distinguish
between desirable and undesirable human behavior. The feature of professional values may
be explained as a set of self imposed ethics and principles necessary for the acquirement of
self improvement and professional excellence. Professional ethics helps individual in these
manners.

1. For self satisfaction: Self satisfaction is more related to our soul, our feelings and
thought process. Professional ethics capable a person to evaluate himself and decide,
and not accept what others decide for him. To regulate the conduct and behaviour
.When we follow the ethical norms of society and profession we are regarded as hard
working, honest, righteous, dutiful etc. All this makes us more respectable and more
prominent than others.
2. To shape the personality: Teacher develops his personality by reforming to his
knowledge and by adding his actions. The professional ethical norms in teaching
profession emphasize the educator to follow pre-established norms in his thought and
in actions, even in one‘s dressing up, speaking etc. with the help of similar ethics, the
personality of an individual is reshaped and he becomes a teacher in real sense.
3. To set up Ideals for Students: In the school, students come in contact with different
teachers and are influenced by them. If a teacher is behaving perfect and positive
manner, the students heartily follow him and want to become like him.
4. Improvement of Human Relation: Professional ethics says that please keep in mind
the social, respect, betterment for others, sense of humanity, brotherhood, tolerance
etc. Individual guided by professional ethics helps us to improve human relation.

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 5. The Professional Excellence: Every profession has a divine culture and work
climate. All this help to develop a smooth co-ordination, combination and effective
functioning thereby bringing professional excellence.

Efforts of Indian government:

S.No. Commission Year Efforts
1 University Education 1949 The teacher educators must look at the whole course
Commission from a different angle, that the theory and practice
should support each other.
2 First conference of 1950 The conference discussed programmes and functions of
Training Colleges in the training colleges.
India, Baroda
3 Second All India 1951 Suggested substituting the term "Education" for
Conference of "Training" and widened its scope.
training Colleges,
Mysore
4 Secondary Education 1952 It emphasized that the most important factor in
Commission educational reconstruction is the teacher, his personal
qualities, his educational qualifications, his professional
training and the place he occupies in the school as well
as in the community.
Establishment of Extension Centres.
Three types of teacher training institutions viz., (a)
Primary (Basic) Teacher Training, (b) Secondary
Teacher Training Institution and Training Colleges.
5 National Council of 1961 Established four Regional Colleges of Education, one
Educational Research each at Ajmer, Bhubaneswar, Bhopal and Mysore.
and Training
(NCERT)
6 The State Institutes of 1964 Emphasis on Teacher Education for improving its
Education were quality, training.
established and a
Department of
Teacher Education
7 Conference of All 1964 Comprehensive colleges be set-up to bridge the gulf
India Association of between Primary and Secondary teacher training
Teachers' Colleges institutions.
8 Kothari commission 1964 Subject orientation and introduction of integrated
courses of general and professional education.
Summer schools and correspondence courses to meet the
backlog of untrained teachers and some States set-up.
State Boards .of Teacher Education.
9 The Planning 1969 Emphasis on Teacher Education for improving its
Commission in the quality, training more women teachers.
Fourth Five Year Plan
10 National Council for 1976 Developed the relationship with the community,
Teacher Education role and functions of the teacher in the emerging Indian
(NCTE) Society.

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11 National Policy on 1986 Stress was given to the teacher education program.
education (NPE) Training schools were upgraded to District Institutes of
Education and Training (DIETS) and training colleges
were upgraded into Colleges of Teacher Education
(CTEs) and Institutes of Advanced Studies in Education
(IASEs). There was provisions for research and
innovation in IASEs.
12 National Policy on 1992 Recognition was subsequently granted to 408
education (NPE) institutions in addition to 1294 institutions accorded
provisional recognition. Similarly, 1349 applications
were received for starting new institutions and courses.
Recognition was accorded only to 277 new
institutions/courses. Besides, provisional recognition
was accorded to 1035 institutions.
13 Revision of NPE was 1993 Gave a humane approach to education emphasizing
by Acharya more on value oriented education.
Ramamurthy
Committee
14 NCTE 2001 A landmark decision taken by NCTE was "to make
Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
literacy a compulsory part of B.Ed. course, mainly to
create general awareness amongst the teacher trainees
about ICT and its use in teaching-learning.
15 National Knowledge 2005 Improvement in Pre-Service & In-Service teachers,
Commission curriculum and Examination Reforms.

According to above efforts of Indian government in the field of professionalization of

education every professional should be aware and obligate for their passion. There is a need
to bring greater convergence between professional preparation and continuing professional
development of teachers at all stages of education. Considering the complexity and
significance of teaching as a professional practice, it is imperative that the entire enterprise of
teacher education should be raised to a university level and that the duration and rigor of
programs should be appropriately enhanced. Some effective ways are here to be followed by
practitioner.

Discussion-: The word professionalism is used to explain the ideas, methods, manner, and
spirit of a profession and of its practitioners. Every profession has its self culture derived
from the role of its practitioners and the desires the society has with respect to the
professional service. If teacher education is intended to become a truly professional enterprise
fundamental changes are needed in the way teachers, colleges and departments of education
operate. The bureaucratic – administrative model needs to be replaced by a professional –
managerial model.

In India there is a need to innovate some special models of teacher education to

reduce problems in professionalization of education. Education has increasingly become
important to success of both individuals and nations. Teacher educators are encouraged to
take up different major or minor research projects. Therefore in the present scenario a lot of
impetus has been given to research. Professionally, effective teaching is very important and
growing in our contemporary society as a result of the steam of dynamic innovations of

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human development and evolution. Due to these progressive developments, standards of
teaching learning would be higher in the 21st century. As a reveal teachers would need to
gain additional knowledge and perfection, both general and specific, to be able to survive and
be successful in the 21st century institutional environment. Increasing evidence present that,
among all educational resources, teachers‘ skills are especially critical contributors to
students‘ learning and consequently the success of a nation to advance in its economic, social
and political spheres (Darling-Hammond, 2006).Some efforts are here from independence of
India for the professional development of education. Hence in the present scenario a lot of
impetus has been given to research.

Problems in Professionalization:
 Lack of skill based theoretical knowledge: Professionals have intensive theoretical
knowledge and skills based on the knowledge related to the subject and they are able
to apply in practice, but in present scenario there is the absence of such properties.
 Professional dissociation: For any Professions professional bodies are essential
organized by the members intended to enhance the status of themselves and carefully
control entrance requirements but generally professionals are intended towards self
interest only.
 Problems in the Recruitments of Professionals: Every one can’t be the member of
the professional body. Professional should have specific characteristics. It is a
requirement to qualify the prescribed examinations that are based on the attitude
towards and theoretical knowledge but the problem is that the recruitment procedure
is not fair. Thus politicization of education is a big problem.
 Distinction in status and rewards: The successful professions should attain high
status, rewards and public prestige for the members to influence the growth and
success but it is great misfortune that Status and Rewards are decided or influenced by
those, who are unknown or little known from the education system. This creates
distinction as well as demoralizes the teacher or educator.
 Abnormal Mobility: The skills, knowledge and authority of professionals belonging
to the profession as individuals, as organizations for which they work, are needed to
have the nature of mobility. But In the case of its sustained condition new
opportunities are not created and developments of new talents are barred. This
abnormal mobility deteriorates the Standardization of professional training and
procedures.
 The poor state of the nation's economy: SAP, few and the financing of the
education system.
 Lack of Commitment: Lack of commitment for students, his profession, the
education system is the main problem in the present scenario. It is not only limited to
teachers but students, guardians are not committed towards education. The present
need of everyone is only quantity, they do not mind on quality. The issue of
responsibility and control of the society's Education: conflicts between the state and
local Governments.
 Narrow Mindedness: Everyone is limited to oneself only, he wants a very few action
and results in a lot. There is the lack of thinking about future, which creates narrow

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 mindedness. The responsibilities are not taken as responsibilities but as a burden, their
purpose is to remove burden any way. The reason behind it is that either that teacher
is not interested in teaching or society. In such a case education can’t grow.
 Teachers / Educators are not updated: Changing is the rule of nature, there is
spontaneous change in every field. There is the need to understand the change and
behave accordingly. In education system various new technologies, new
recommendations, innovations are emerging. But most of the teacher educators are
not well known i.e. update.
 Use of old Methodologies: In most of the schools/colleges old methodologies are
used, some of them are not suitable according to the present situation.
 Lack of Resources: Any institution can’t grow if it has not the resources. The growth
also depends on the amount of the resources. The growth is proportional to the
resource available. In education system there is the huge problem of the resources.
Since the population of India is second highest implies that students are also in a large
amount but teachers, schools colleges, infrastructure, facilities are not available in that
ratio. In the lack of necessary needs how can a teacher be professional? Scarcity and
prohibitive cost of books, poorly-equipped libraries, laboratories and subject rooms
etc are the problems.
Suggestions:
 Value education: In ancient India it is believed that GOD is creator of human but
teachers are the creator of a civilized human. Therefore Teachers were more
important in comparison to GOD. This is the need to understand that Teacher is a
creator, not a normal person. He has special ability towards purity and knowledge of
physical matters. A teacher is devoted to the society without any self interest. In
present scenario professionalization also advocate for the devotion but in exchange of
money.
 A periodic evaluation: A periodic evaluation enhances the capability of the
institution as well as the teacher and students. Since the student’s evaluation are done
by teacher and institution’s evaluation by NAAC. Similarly there is need to evaluate
teachers so that he can use concurrent technologies and utilizes their knowledge for
the welfare of the students as well as society.
 Equal rewards and status: The education system alters from state to state, institution
to institution, religion to religion and society to society. This is the large problem at
least there should be a common pattern. On the basis of this pattern the status of the
teachers and rewards should be same. It is evident that salaries of different level
teachers in different states are different.
 Broad mindedness: For any unethical or illegal involvement narrow mindedness is
responsible. Therefore there is need to develop a broad mindedness.
 Punishment for illegal or unethical acts: Since corruption has emerged in every
field in different amount. In other field it has not the loss in that amount as in case of
Education. Because education affects present and a long future, not only an individual
but whole society too. Therefore there should be proper punishment for illegal acts.

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  Rewards for committed teacher without any political influence: There should not
be any political or administrational influence for the rewards. Mostly it is seen that
many of the rewards are given to the related persons. Such cases should be stopped by
a well committed group of devoted persons.
 Directional education system: A directional education system will help the students
as well as teachers.
 A periodic change in curriculum and teaching methods: Since as the new
innovations are carried out new products in form of new curriculum, teaching
methods, teaching technologies. There should be periodic reforms in curriculum and
technologies as per the change in society.
 A continuous training: In the changing society, changing in curriculum and
technologies a teacher should also be acquainted with new trends. Therefore its need
to a continuous training.
 Fulfillment of necessary resources: The necessary resources should be availed so
that desired outcome can be obtained. There is need to increase schools, colleges,
teachers, infrastructures.
Some Required Features for professionalization:
Regulation proceeds in the direction of perfection. Professions are typically governed
by norms and status, with the accountability of enforcement delegated to respective
professional bodies, whose work is to regulate, define, promote, oversee and support the
affairs of its members. Regulation of teacher education proceeds students and teacher towards
perfection because of real professional environment.
Professional autonomy can only be maintained if members of the profession subject
their activities and decisions to a critical evaluation by other members of the profession. The
concept of autonomy can therefore be seen to embrace not only judgment, but also self-
interest and a continuous process of critical evaluation of ethics and procedures from within
the profession itself. Professionals are defined as a high degree of selflessness and
responsibility. That they can be trusted to work conscientiously Professions tend to be
autonomous, which means they have a high degree of control of their own affairs:
Professionals are autonomous insofar as they can make independent judgments about their
work. This usually means the freedom to exercise their professional judgment. Professional
autonomy has main features first; the work of professional entails such a high degree of skill
and knowledge that only the fellow professionals can make accurate assessment of
professional performance. Second the rare instance in which individual professionals do not
perform with sufficient skill or conscientiousness, their colleagues may be trusted to
undertake the proper regulatory action.
Professions have a high social status enjoying regard and esteem conferred by the
society upon them. This high esteem arises mainly from the higher social function of the
work done by the practitioner, which is considered as vital to society as a perfect one and thus
of having a special and more valuable nature. All professions involve specialized, technical
and highly skilled work referred as professional expertise. The training for this work involves
acquiring degrees and professional qualifications, which is essential for the entry to the
profession without which it is barred. Training also needs regular updating of skills by
continuing education.
All professions have some special power. This power is used to regulate its area of

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expertise and interests and also controls its own members. A profession tends to dominate
worthy and protect its area of expertise and conduct of its members. It exercises a dominating
influence on its entire field which means that professions can act and behave monopolists,
buffering competition from subordinate trades, occupations, as well as ancillary and
controlling related trades. The profession is characterized by the power and the high prestige
it has in society holistically. It is the prestige, power and value that the society confers upon a
profession which more clearly defines it.
The concept of an identifiable body of Knowledge and a knowledge base for teacher
education does not resemble to have been addressed in any meaningful way. There is a useful
difference between prepositional knowledge and personal knowledge. Prepositional
knowledge owes its origin to the institutions of higher education, where it is organized,
developed and codified. It attains the academic status and legitimacy, which becomes public
knowledge. It is available for further research and testing. Personal knowledge resides within
the working professional. It is the result of many years of observation, experience, social
interaction and resulted in the person‘s performance. Really, it forms a significant part of a
person’s competence. Professional knowledge provides useful guidelines to engage in the
difficult task to determine the knowledge base of a profession. Some of the reasons are given
as:
 To correct wrong activities regarding teacher education those are in circulation.
 To illuminate the discussions about theory-practice patterns and the role of
experimental learning.
 To emphasize the aspects of knowledge that have been somewhat ignored in the
teacher education programs.
 To highlight on the growing debate about the competence based approaches to the
professional standards and qualifications.

A focused approach Pride in what one is doing Confident Competent Motivation

towards a particular goal Accountability Respect for people irrespective of status, rank and
gender. The responsibility of the whole on the path to a particular goal Commitment to word
and deed and Control of emotions well, is expected.
The Academic Staff Colleges developed by UGC (University Grants Commission)
under the NPE-1986 (National Policy on Education1986) has the main philosophy to mention
that teacher is central to the system. Since a teacher is the pivot of the educational system,
although it is universally accepted, yet our system does not provide appropriate conditions
and opportunities for their professional development. Therefore, it is necessary to build
mechanisms to provide opportunities for teachers within the framework of knowledge
society. It is also accepted that a teacher must not be limited only to transmitting information,
he must also be oriented towards students to meet the challenges of the life. He is not limited
to merely become a trained professional, but also a better citizen. Really it was believed in
the past that a university teacher learnt the art of the teaching on the job by equating
outstanding models such as his own teachers or senior colleagues.

Conclusion-:
Every problem has the solution in itself; there is only need to diagnose the problem correctly.
As in case of education the problems regarding the professionalization can be solved by the

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adequate understanding. The problem can be solved by realizing the real meaning of
professionalization. If a practitioner lives his whole life for his profession with the passion, he
will be able to remove the hurdles of the way of knowledge. By his devotion and dedication
he can develop his skills in the best way to perform the best what can he do. The teachers
play an important role in the improvement of the quality of education. In any assessment of
the educational system, it is important to know adequacy of enough teachers, who are not
only well qualified, but are also able to adjust with the changing curriculum and growth in
knowledge. It is important to know about the facilities for upgrading and improving their
knowledge and their skills of teaching. The professional development of teachers has taken as
a great deal of attention in all countries, including India. In comparison, the attention that
teacher education has taken is marginal. Even when research and policy initiatives are
directed towards the professionalization of teacher education, the focus is on instructional
resources, institutional development, program structure, curriculum reform and the like.
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