Professionalism among Jamaican Educators

Abstract

The issue of professionalism among Jamaican educators has occupied a significant portion of much discourse. In this chapter, the author discusses a small-scale study that sought to answer two main questions: What are the perspectives of the Jamaican teachers regarding professionalism and are Jamaican teachers professional? The aim of which was to generate information that the relevant technocrats within the education sector can use to inform decision making. Through convenience sampling, a cross-sectional survey was done to solicit responses across a select college and two high schools. Participants responded to these questions through a specifically designed questionnaire. The question of whether Jamaican teachers are professional was still unanswered. However, more efforts should be expended to ensure that teachers uphold professional standards, become acquainted with their code of ethics and improve the levels of compliance with these professional codes and standards. In the meantime, educators should be encouraged to continuously seek and engage in professional development activities to augment their personal and professional growth; as well as the growth and development of others. This chapter discusses professionalism among Jamaican educators and highlights the professional principles and code of conduct, daily practices of Jamaican educators, and their perspectives on teacher professional development, and wider stakeholder impact. The author challenges educational leaders to mobilize educators to attain higher levels of excellence and professionalize teaching by ensuring conformity with established standards and code of conduct.