Professionalism by Whose
Model?
PROFESSIONALISM AND
PROFESSIONALISATION OF TESOL AND
TESOL TEACHERS THROUGH AUTONOMY OR
ACCOUNTABILITY
Steven James Kurowski
University of Exeter
Public Presentations of “Professionalism”
Questions of the Study
 Interpretive study, grounded theory (Cohen et al.,
2011: 589):
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are TESOL teachers’ concepts and influences in
professionalism?
How do TESOL teachers’ non-teaching education and work
experience before teaching influence their professionalism?
How have TESOL teachers’ views of professionalism in ESL
teaching changed with education and experience?
In what ways are TESOL teachers different from (i.e.: have an
edge over) other TESOL teachers in terms of their own private
experiences?
Personal View before Study
 Teachers’ non-teaching work experience and
education positively influence their practice and
outlook, giving them an edge over other teachers and
enhancing their self-perceptions of their own
professionalism.
Professionalism in ESL Literature
 TESOL Quarterly, Applied Linguistics, English Teaching: Practice
and Critique, Reflective Practice:
International and
Multidisciplinary Perspectives, World Journal of Education,
Cambridge Journal of Education, Journal of Interactive Learning
Research, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, The
Modern Language Journal, and College Quarterly
“Professional” used in a primarily cavalierly nuanced way
Liu (1999): “TESOL professionals”; “professional issues”
Lyons (2006) “professional practice and development”
Koster et al (2008) “professional development of teacher educators”
No definition of “professional” or “professionalism”; terms are
assumed
 Contributes to a vague perception of TESOL teachers as
professionals in an authentic sense.





Professionalism in Literature
 Definition from general teaching and sociological domain
 “How-to” (Hoban and Erickson, 2004)
 Political construct (Kennedy et al, 2012)
 Advantages accrued to professionals (Ritzer, 1975)
 Professional ethos (MacPherson et al., 2005)
 A profession is publicly recognized (Gamble, 2010)
 Original professionals were doctors, lawyers, and clergy
of the 19th century (Evetts 2005)

gentlemen, competent, experienced, altruistic, trusted to provide
advice to middle and upperclass clientele—professionalism informed
by public recognition
Professionalism in Literature
 Prior to 1950’s—professionalism a normative value
 1970s and 1980s—professionalism skeptically viewed as

“a monopoly on certain kinds of work whereby a centralized body of
knowledge becomes accessible through a special group of accolytes
who corner and funnel this knowledge into an occupational
jurisdiction” (Evetts ibid).
 An organized occupation which can control knowledge of
its own work and is sustained by a particular ideology of
expertise and service is a defined ‘profession’; …the
ideology itself combined with the institutes which sustain
it is a defined ‘professionalism’” (Friedson 1994).
Straddling the Dividing Line Between
Professionals and Non-Professionals
TESOL Professionalizing
 TESOL teachers may consider themselves to be
“professionals”



rigorous training
a barrage of norms
expected behaviors and approaches to classroom work
emanating from TESOL “profession”
 TESOL knowledge base “substantially unstructured”
(Farmer 2006).
 “changing winds and shifting sands” (Marckwardt
1972).
“Professional” in Corpus Linguistics
 You shall judge a word by the company it keeps (J.R. Firth, in
Partington, 1998: 25).
 Three properties of language:
 Textual coherence does not happen at random (Sinclair, 1991: 109).

the idiom principle: words fit within set phrases
 e.g.: “In almost all cases, attainment of your professional development goal
should lead to increased student learning gains.”

the open-choice principle: words fit within no set phrase
 e.g.: “Many participants incorrectly judged sites based on their content and how
professional they appeared…”
(Source: Corpus of Contemporary American English, http://corpus.byu.edu)

Language in use transmits culture (J.R. Firth, in Stubbs, 1996: 43).
“Professional” in the Corpus of Contemporary
American English (COCA)
 http://corpus.byu.edu
Top 100 Collocates of “Professional” (COCA)
Top 100 Collocates of "Professional"
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
DEVELOPMENT
PERSONAL
SPORTS
ORGANIZATIONS
CAREER
TEACHERS
TRAINING
STANDARDS
ATHLETES
FOOTBALL
ASSOCIATION
BASEBALL
PROFESSIONAL
COUNSELORS
BASKETBALL
ASSOCIATIONS
COUNSELING
ACTIVITIES
ORGANIZATION
EDUCATORS
OPPORTUNITIES
PREPARATION
PLAYER
LITERATURE
AMATEUR
FREQ
2721
1053
896
619
567
552
520
499
466
454
423
400
395
360
348
346
311
300
299
285
284
275
274
269
266
ALL
96227
76846
41423
30406
52873
77872
61766
38209
18466
29352
50347
31004
43955
7318
22889
7752
11007
49114
45816
15179
25545
12777
38039
29906
5458
%
2.83
1.37
2.16
2.04
1.07
0.71
0.84
1.31
2.52
1.55
0.84
1.29
0.9
4.92
1.52
4.46
2.83
0.61
0.65
1.88
1.11
2.15
0.72
0.9
4.87
MI
5.22
4.18
4.84
4.75
3.82
3.23
3.48
4.11
5.06
4.35
3.47
4.09
3.57
6.02
4.33
5.88
5.22
3.01
3.11
4.63
3.88
4.83
3.25
3.57
6.01
26 RESPONSIBILITY
27
LEAGUE
28
CONDUCT
29
TEAMS
30
ACADEMIC
31
ETHICS
32
JOURNALS
33
ATHLETE
34
GOLF
35
JUDGMENT
36
ARTISTS
37
COUNSELOR
38
CAREERS
39
ADVICE
40 INVOLVEMENT
41
SOCIETIES
42
PSYCHOLOGY
43 PHOTOGRAPHER
44
TRAINED
45 ASTRONOMERS
46
SEEK
47
SOCCER
48
TECHNICAL
49
MUSICIANS
50
GRADUATE
FREQ
245
243
238
223
222
206
192
184
184
181
181
174
172
169
166
163
156
154
154
148
148
136
128
126
125
ALL
32630
36689
17639
32938
33553
11247
5498
7966
22969
16151
28191
7396
7582
25805
17625
9640
14551
7668
16880
6613
21304
10638
20188
7960
18318
%
0.75
0.66
1.35
0.68
0.66
1.83
3.49
2.31
0.8
1.12
0.64
2.35
2.27
0.65
0.94
1.69
1.07
2.01
0.91
2.24
0.69
1.28
0.63
1.58
0.68
MI
3.31
3.13
4.16
3.16
3.13
4.6
5.53
4.93
3.4
3.89
3.08
4.96
4.91
3.11
3.64
4.48
3.82
4.73
3.59
4.89
3.2
4.08
3.07
4.39
3.17
51
HISTORIANS
52
CONTINUING
53
MANNER
54
ROLES
55
EXPERTISE
56
HOCKEY
57
TENNIS
58
JOURNALISTS
59
MEETINGS
60
WRESTLING
61
COMPETENCE
62
LEAGUES
63
MANAGERS
64
MUSICIAN
65
CONFERENCES
66
HIRE
67
ETHICAL
68
HEALTHCARE
69
GOLFER
70
ONGOING
71
MANAGERIAL
72 RESPONSIBILITIES
73
DANCERS
74 PHOTOGRAPHERS
75
ENGINEERS
FREQ
124
124
124
123
122
119
119
117
117
114
112
107
105
100
99
96
92
90
89
89
88
86
84
79
79
ALL
7329
17619
19247
16114
8464
6859
11119
10609
18543
4156
5989
3756
15821
4420
5332
9946
10209
6203
1710
12331
1864
8991
4580
3552
12227
%
1.69
0.7
0.64
0.76
1.44
1.73
1.07
1.1
0.63
2.74
1.87
2.85
0.66
2.26
1.86
0.97
0.9
1.45
5.2
0.72
4.72
0.96
1.83
2.22
0.65
MI
4.48
3.22
3.09
3.33
4.25
4.52
3.82
3.87
3.06
5.18
4.63
5.23
3.13
4.9
4.62
3.67
3.57
4.26
6.1
3.25
5.96
3.66
4.6
4.88
3.09
76
GOLFERS
77 PSYCHOLOGISTS
78
WORKSHOPS
79
LIABILITY
80
CREDENTIALS
81
DANCER
82
INTEGRITY
83
FULL-TIME
84 COLLABORATION
85
SKILLED
86
BOUNDARIES
87
CHEFS
88
WRESTLER
89
AUTONOMY
90
QUALIFIED
91
LICENSED
92
CERTIFICATION
93
COURTESY
94
PUBLICATIONS
95
COLLEGIATE
96
HIRING
97
COMPETENCIES
98 QUALIFICATIONS
99
CONSULT
100
BOXING
FREQ
78
75
71
67
65
65
65
62
61
60
60
58
56
56
56
55
55
55
54
53
53
52
51
51
51
ALL
1839
5477
5037
6501
3288
4015
9461
8074
7660
5699
9657
3186
818
6365
8713
3393
4158
7984
7074
2172
7587
2121
2405
3568
4669
%
4.24
1.37
1.41
1.03
1.98
1.62
0.69
0.77
0.8
1.05
0.62
1.82
6.85
0.88
0.64
1.62
1.32
0.69
0.76
2.44
0.7
2.45
2.12
1.43
1.09
MI: The Mutual Information score for the collocates. Typically, scores of about 3.0
or above shows a "semantic bonding" between the two words.
MI
5.81
4.18
4.22
3.77
4.71
4.42
3.18
3.34
3.4
3.8
3.04
4.59
6.5
3.54
3.09
4.42
4.13
3.19
3.33
5.01
3.21
5.02
4.81
4.24
3.85
Professions, Professionals, and Professional
fields
Professions, Professionals, and Professional Fields
FREQ ALL % MI
FREQ ALL
3
SPORTS
896 41423 2.16 4.84 63
MANAGERS
105 15821
6
TEACHERS
552 77872 0.71 3.23 64
MUSICIAN
100 4420
9
ATHLETES
466 18466 2.52 5.06 68
HEALTHCARE
90 6203
10
FOOTBALL
454 29352 1.55 4.35 69
GOLFER
89 1710
12
BASEBALL
400 31004 1.29 4.09 73
DANCERS
84 4580
14 COUNSELORS 360 7318 4.92 6.02 74 PHOTOGRAPHERS 79 3552
15 BASKETBALL
348 22889 1.52 4.33 75
ENGINEERS
79 12227
17 COUNSELING
311 11007 2.83 5.22 76
GOLFERS
78 1839
20
EDUCATORS
285 15179 1.88 4.63 77 PSYCHOLOGISTS 75 5477
23
PLAYER
274 38039 0.72 3.25 81
DANCER
65 4015
24
LITERATURE
269 29906 0.9 3.57 86
BOUNDARIES
60 9657
25
AMATEUR
266 5458 4.87 6.01 87
CHEFS
58 3186
33
ATHLETE
184 7966 2.31 4.93 88
WRESTLER
56 818
34
GOLF
184 22969 0.8 3.4 100
BOXING
51 4669
36
ARTISTS
181 28191 0.64 3.08
37 COUNSELOR
174 7396 2.35 4.96
42 PSYCHOLOGY 156 14551 1.07 3.82
43 PHOTOGRAPHER 154 7668 2.01 4.73
45 ASTRONOMERS 148 6613 2.24 4.89
49
MUSICIANS
126 7960 1.58 4.39
51
HISTORIANS
124 7329 1.69 4.48
56
HOCKEY
119 6859 1.73 4.52
57
TENNIS
119 11119 1.07 3.82
58 JOURNALISTS 117 10609 1.1 3.87
60
WRESTLING
114 4156 2.74 5.18
%
0.66
2.26
1.45
5.2
1.83
2.22
0.65
4.24
1.37
1.62
0.62
1.82
6.85
1.09
MI
3.13
4.9
4.26
6.1
4.6
4.88
3.09
5.81
4.18
4.42
3.04
4.59
6.5
3.85
What Professionals Do
What Professionals Do
1
3
4
7
8
16
18
19
21
22
24
26
28
30
31
32
38
40
44
46
53
54
55
59
61
DEVELOPMENT
SPORTS
ORGANIZATIONS
TRAINING
STANDARDS
ASSOCIATIONS
ACTIVITIES
ORGANIZATION
OPPORTUNITIES
PREPARATION
LITERATURE
RESPONSIBILITY
CONDUCT
ACADEMIC
ETHICS
JOURNALS
CAREERS
INVOLVEMENT
TRAINED
SEEK
MANNER
ROLES
EXPERTISE
MEETINGS
COMPETENCE
FREQ
2721
896
619
520
499
346
300
299
284
275
269
245
238
222
206
192
172
166
154
148
124
123
122
117
112
ALL
96227
41423
30406
61766
38209
7752
49114
45816
25545
12777
29906
32630
17639
33553
11247
5498
7582
17625
16880
21304
19247
16114
8464
18543
5989
%
2.83
2.16
2.04
0.84
1.31
4.46
0.61
0.65
1.11
2.15
0.9
0.75
1.35
0.66
1.83
3.49
2.27
0.94
0.91
0.69
0.64
0.76
1.44
0.63
1.87
MI
5.22
4.84
4.75
3.48
4.11
5.88
3.01
3.11
3.88
4.83
3.57
3.31
4.16
3.13
4.6
5.53
4.91
3.64
3.59
3.2
3.09
3.33
4.25
3.06
4.63
62
LEAGUES
65 CONFERENCES
67
ETHICAL
71
MANAGERIAL
79
LIABILITY
80
CREDENTIALS
82
INTEGRITY
83
FULL-TIME
84 COLLABORATION
85
SKILLED
86
BOUNDARIES
89
AUTONOMY
90
QUALIFIED
91
LICENSED
92 CERTIFICATION
93
COURTESY
94 PUBLICATIONS
95
COLLEGIATE
96
HIRING
97 COMPETENCIES
98 QUALIFICATIONS
99
CONSULT
FREQ ALL
107 3756
99 5332
92 10209
88 1864
67 6501
65 3288
65 9461
62 8074
61 7660
60 5699
60 9657
56 6365
56 8713
55 3393
55 4158
55 7984
54 7074
53 2172
53 7587
52 2121
51 2405
51 3568
%
2.85
1.86
0.9
4.72
1.03
1.98
0.69
0.77
0.8
1.05
0.62
0.88
0.64
1.62
1.32
0.69
0.76
2.44
0.7
2.45
2.12
1.43
MI
5.23
4.62
3.57
5.96
3.77
4.71
3.18
3.34
3.4
3.8
3.04
3.54
3.09
4.42
4.13
3.19
3.33
5.01
3.21
5.02
4.81
4.24
How Professionals Organize
How Professionals
Organize
4 ORGANIZATIONS
11 ASSOCIATION
16 ASSOCIATIONS
18
ACTIVITIES
19 ORGANIZATION
30
ACADEMIC
32
JOURNALS
40 INVOLVEMENT
41
SOCIETIES
62
LEAGUES
78
WORKSHOPS
84 COLLABORATION
94 PUBLICATIONS
95
COLLEGIATE
99
CONSULT
FREQ
619
423
346
300
299
222
192
166
163
107
71
61
54
53
51
ALL
30406
50347
7752
49114
45816
33553
5498
17625
9640
3756
5037
7660
7074
2172
3568
%
2.04
0.84
4.46
0.61
0.65
0.66
3.49
0.94
1.69
2.85
1.41
0.8
0.76
2.44
1.43
MI
4.75
3.47
5.88
3.01
3.11
3.13
5.53
3.64
4.48
5.23
4.22
3.4
3.33
5.01
4.24
What Marks a Professional?
What Marks a Professional?
1 DEVELOPMENT
5
CAREER
7
TRAINING
8
STANDARDS
22 PREPARATION
26 RESPONSIBILITY
28
CONDUCT
30
ACADEMIC
31
ETHICS
35
JUDGMENT
39
ADVICE
44
TRAINED
53
MANNER
54
ROLES
55
EXPERTISE
67
ETHICAL
71 MANAGERIAL
72 RESPONSIBILITIES
79
LIABILITY
80 CREDENTIALS
82
INTEGRITY
83
FULL-TIME
84 COLLABORATION
85
SKILLED
86 BOUNDARIES
FREQ
2721
567
520
499
275
245
238
222
206
181
169
154
124
123
122
92
88
86
67
65
65
62
61
60
60
ALL
96227
52873
61766
38209
12777
32630
17639
33553
11247
16151
25805
16880
19247
16114
8464
10209
1864
8991
6501
3288
9461
8074
7660
5699
9657
%
2.83
1.07
0.84
1.31
2.15
0.75
1.35
0.66
1.83
1.12
0.65
0.91
0.64
0.76
1.44
0.9
4.72
0.96
1.03
1.98
0.69
0.77
0.8
1.05
0.62
MI
5.22
3.82
3.48
4.11
4.83
3.31
4.16
3.13
4.6
3.89
3.11
3.59
3.09
3.33
4.25
3.57
5.96
3.66
3.77
4.71
3.18
3.34
3.4
3.8
3.04
89
90
91
92
93
95
97
98
FREQ
AUTONOMY
56
QUALIFIED
56
LICENSED
55
CERTIFICATION 55
COURTESY
55
COLLEGIATE
53
COMPETENCIES 52
QUALIFICATIONS 51
ALL
6365
8713
3393
4158
7984
2172
2121
2405
%
0.88
0.64
1.62
1.32
0.69
2.44
2.45
2.12
MI
3.54
3.09
4.42
4.13
3.19
5.01
5.02
4.81
Forms of Professionalism in Literature
Forms of Professionalism
71
89
MANAGERIAL
AUTONOMY
FREQ ALL
% MI
88 1864 4.72 5.96
56 6365 0.88 3.54
Traditional Professional Model






The Traditional Professional Model
Extended and rigorous training,
High prestige,
High levels of authority and autonomy,
A professional organization and community,
A good salary, and
An overall ethic of serving the public good.
The Traditional Professional Model; adapted from Evans (2010).
For the authentic professional, failing in autonomy is failing in
professionalism (Friedson, 2001).
Managerialized Professional Model






The Managerialized Professional Model
Extended and rigorous training,
Low prestige,
Low-to-no level of authority and autonomy,
Professional organization and community optional,
A mediocre to low salary, and
An overall ethic of serving the public good.
For the managerialized professional, failing in accountability is
failing in professionalism (Friedson, 2001).
Managerialized Professional Model
 Appeal to “professionalism” is disciplinary in nature
inculcating “appropriate work identities, conducts
and practices” (Fournier, 1999).
 This amounts to a
disciplinary logic which inscribes ‘autonomous’ professional practice
within a network of accountability and [governing] professional
conduct at a distance (Fournier, 1999).
Managerialized Professional Model
 Education a “site of struggle”—teachers routinely
expected to provide for free a service for which they
should be paid fairly and accorded status (Ball
2005).
 Demand that teachers be market-oriented and
managerial in approach (Dent and Whitehead 2003).
 Lack of autonomy leads to de-professionalization of
teachers (Bottery and Wright 2000).
Managerialized Professional Model
 Top-down control
 Increased surveillance
 Competition for teaching roles
 Increased marketization
 Commercial approaches to education
 Reductions in funding
 Failing respect or recognition
 Undermined teachers’ professional agency
(Bodman et al, 2012)
Managerialized Professional Model
 No single integrated view of “professionalism”
(Swann et al 2010).
 View of professionalism lacking in importance for
teachers’ work (Kassabgy et al 2001).
 Employers have a larger stake and their own agendas
running counter to an autonomous professional
model of TESOL.
 Thus, teaching is a semi-profession at best since it
meets some of the elements of a traditional
professional occupation (Evans 2010).
TESOL Professionalization: A Reason to Celebrate?
 1950s, TESOL came into being
 Focus efforts to professionalize TESOL (Alatis 1987).
 1960s, language teachers viewed as “a flunky who
knows little or nothing, or else a puppet who must
dance on a string” (Jones 1964).
 Mid-to-late 1980s, little ground in membership:
11,000, 66 affiliates, one convention and a journal.
TESOL Professionalization: A Reason to Celebrate?
 2014, TESOL International membership has risen
14%--12,496 members in 163 countries.
 1997, an estimated 1 billion ESL/ EFL students
worldwide(Graddol 2000)

Conservative guess of 1 million teachers—0.0013% registered
TESOL professionals.
TESOL Professionalization: A Reason to Celebrate?
 All “professions” in the authentic sense require
practitioners be members of the profession prior to
practicing.
 TESOL does not.
 Educational institutions and not the TESOL
“profession” determines teacher training and
practice.
TESOL Professionalization: A Reason to Celebrate?
 Authentic professionalism (Ball 2005)
 emerges from critical engagement in political dialogue and
action.
 founded on emotional dialogue with self, students, and
colleagues.
 Autonomy the converse of performativitiy measured
through accountability terms (Patrick et al 2003).

Utilizing others’ advice and instruction on teaching rather than
teaching from self-knowledge and self-control leads to deprofessionalism.
 Menter (2009) irony of curtailing autonomy and
independence of teachers through a discourse of
“professionalization” through collaboration.
TESOL Professionalization: A Reason to Celebrate?
 Teacher autonomy claimed to be bolstered through
action research resulting in improved student scores
(Bustingorry 2008).
 Creation of teaching portfolios enhances “the feeling
of autonomy” (Donaghue and Dolci 2013).
 A “feeling” of autonomy and an imposed agenda of
action research providing an outlet for teachers to
exercise autonomy are not the same as professional
autonomy.

stratagems to enforce a managerial mode of professionalism.
TESOL Professionalization: A Reason to Celebrate?
 Managerial control emerges through a promise of
autonomy through accountability

promotes occupational change and intervention of micro-level
control over professional practice (Fournier 1999).
 Impact of “brutal interlocking of managerialism and
holistic, student-centered learning and teaching is
demoralizing” (Dhillon et al 2011).
 Managerial professionalism

system-driven, externally regulated, undertaken for political ends,
competing and market-driven mechanisms, a “logic” of control and
compliance through audit, careful management, teacher
accountability, and restriction of autonomy (Power 1997, Strathem
2000, Connell 2009, Whitty 2008).
Questions of the Study
 Interpretive study, grounded theory (Cohen et al.,
2011: 589):
1.
2.
3.
4.
What are TESOL teachers’ concepts and influences in
professionalism?
How do TESOL teachers’ non-teaching education and work
experience before teaching influence their professionalism?
How have TESOL teachers’ views of professionalism in ESL
teaching changed with education and experience?
In what ways are TESOL teachers different from (i.e.: have an
edge over) other TESOL teachers in terms of their own private
experiences?
Participants
Eight teachers from a new university (<5 years) in Oman.
Name
Rodica
Nicola
Kasim
Albert
Catharine
Martin
Kendra
Melek
Age Range
36-40
Romanian
Female
46-50
Australian
Female
41-45
Tunisian
Male
46-50
Irish
Male
51-55
British
Female
51-55
British
Male
30-35
Georgian
Female
41-45
Turkish
Female
Bachelors
Masters
Masters
Bachelors
Bachelors
Bachelors
Masters
Masters
Major
Foreign Language
and Literature:
French & Linguistics
TESOL
Philosophy and
Music
Ethnomusicology
(BA)
ELT
English
Language and
Publishing
English
Language
Modern
European
Literature
English
Language
and
Literature
International
ELT and
Applied
Language
Studies
Minor
English &
Linguistics
Business
N/A
N/A
Italian
Language
Modern
European
History
N/A
N/A
6-10 years
0-5 years
0-5 years
16-20years
6-10 years
6-10 years
0-5 years
0-5 years
0-5 years
16-20 years
16-20 years
6-10 years
21-25 years
16-20 years
6-10 years
16-20 years
Administrat
ion &
Business
Retail
Tour Guide
and
Translation
N/A
Nationality
Gender
Education
Level
Work Before
Teaching ESL
Work
Teaching ESL
Industry of
Majority of
Pre-Teaching
Work
Law and Legal
Services
Retail
Military
Publishing
Manufacturing
Casual labour:
factory, hotels,
agriculture,
computer,
seasonal
Other
Industries of
Pre-Teaching
Work
Pharmaceuticals:
import and export
Admin and
Agriculture
N/A
Construction/
Labour/ Artisan/
Ranching
Retail
N/A
Table 3: Research Participant Details
Summary of Results
 Related selves as teachers to their work within
classroom.


Discussed elements of work, expectations as teachers and
employees within business
Interested in behaviors, experience, gaining feedback, being
knowledgeable, dedicated, accountable, proficient and ethical

I think it is the set of attitudes and behaviours that are expected from an
employer-employee. And in order to do our jobs efficiently, but these [sic]
set of behaviours, I think changes [sic] from one institution to another
institution. Also, a teacher or an individual has his or her own set of
behaviours, which is called, which could be defined as professionalism.
(Melek)
What is in Mind in Terms of Professionalism?
 Qualifications
 Collaborating and consulting with peers for ongoing
learning (Menter, 2009).

So, teachers are always learning all the time, I think, in my opinion. That’s
what I usually do. We should always improve our work. It’s always based on
our feedback. We always accept our feedback, whether it’s negative or
positive. So, we learn from our mistakes. So, that’s how every person should
do. If you want to be a professional, you should accept everything, every
kind of feedback from others. (Kendra)
Professional Influences
 Supervisors
 Advisors
 Trainers
 Teachers (primary for participants)
 Colleagues
 Family members
Considerations of Professional Influences
 Skills and techniques for solving problems

So, I adopt her, I adopt her behaviour in class. She didn’t give up, and she
was very, as I said, well prepared and she was considering our needs, and
different techniques, providing us with real life materials, and she was also
helping us to speculate about the topics. So, it wasn’t all about her
presentation. It was also about us doing a research at the library and coming
to class prepared, sharing opinions. She was making us work, as a teacher.
That is why I think, she is one of the most professional teachers, I have ever
met in my life. (Melek)
Having an Edge
 Toeing the Line
 Confidence, acceptance of difficulty and change, flexibility,
responding appropriately to and within different cultures,
discipline, being helpful, positivity, proficiency, recognizing
learner difficulty.
 No techniques or tools originating from prior experience.
 I think that I’m a good employee. So, as an employee, tell me to do something,
I will do it, I might probably fail, but I will do it. If there is a policy in place, I
will follow that policy, even if I think it’s stupid. And, that gives me an edge in
employability, I think. I’m more likely to keep my job to somebody who doesn’t
do those things. (Nicola)
Pre-Teaching Experience Influencing
Professionalism in TESOL
•
•
•
•
Working with animals
Librarian
Editor
Retail
• Laborer
• Military
• Translator
 I was saying to my friend afterwards that, it was just like breaking horses,
teaching these six year olds. And, he said, “what are you talking about?” I
see they are very low level. They are five years old, and I’m not trying to be
funny, it’s all about patience and repetition. Patience and repetition. When
you break a horse, you break a horse in thirty days normally. And really, I
do the same thing all the time. I’m gradually progressing, bit by bit, bit by
bit. (Albert)
Beliefs of Professionalism in TESOL
 Managerialized Professionalism
 in terms of the demands of any job they might have find themselves
doing: “Before I started teaching, I thought that the teachers came in,
they stood up, they told the students what to learn, and gave them
practice…”; “Caring about your students doing well, mark papers in the
evening.
Well, I never really thought about the concept of
professionalism in teaching. Go in, do your best, do what you have to
do, to the best of your ability.” (Melek)
 Expected and Handed-Down Professionalism
 A boss, an employer, or a head teacher—to whom teachers are held
accountable.
 To help someone become a professional, “give him the tools and
proficiencies he or she needs to do the job efficiently.” (Melek)
Conclusions
 Professional + n (nannies, sales clerks, dancers, etc.)
 Traditional professionalism developed over centuries

Rigorous training, prestige, authority, autonomy, organization and
community, a commensurate salary, overall ethic of serving the
public good (Evans, 2005).
 TESOL professionalizing

An organization set up, a knowledge base developing but fragmented
(Farmer, 2006).
 Absent autonomy

TESOL teaching is a semi-profession informed by managerialized
professionalism (Evetts, 2005)
References
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