Characteristics of the professional advancement of senior teachers

Abstract

The analysed sources recognise the following characteristics of the professional advancement of senior teachers: reaching a career plateau, performance on the expected level but nothing more, and towards the career end - preparations for quitting the job followed by either fear of joyful expectations. This research has focused on Serbian teachers over 50 years of age. The study group consisted of 118 high school teachers. The technique of a survey was used, and the closed questionnaire ensured sufficient reliability. Using descriptive statistical analysis we have established, among other things, that 10% of the oldest teachers think they no longer need professional advancement, the same percent of them feel fatigue after long years of teaching, 17% rejoice at the prospect of retirement and as many as 41% think that their performance is correct but with less effort put into it. A T-test has shown that the above behavior is more often found in senior teachers than young teachers. However, senior teachers estimate their own working enthusiasm and efforts as high as that of young teachers, and are willing to mentor younger colleagues. We conclude that the final stage of teacher careers are characterized by reaching a certain plateau of professional development, by having a somewhat lower motivation for advancement and also by equal commitment and enthusiasm followed by a will to transfer knowledge and experience to younger colleagues.

Kao osobenosti profesionalnog razvoja nastavnika starije dobi u analiziranoj literaturi prepoznaju se: dostizanje platoa u karijeri, obavljanje posla na nivou očekivanog, ali ne i više od toga, i pred kraj radnog veka - pripremanje za napuštanje posla, praćeno bilo zebnjom, bilo radosnim iščekivanjem. U ovom istraživanju imali smo za cilj da opišemo karakteristike profesionalnog razvoja nastavnika starosne dobi preko 50 godina u Srbiji. Uzorak je činilo 118 nastavnika srednjih škola, korišćen je anketni metod, tehnika za prikupljanje podataka je upitnik zatvorenog tipa zadovoljavajuće pouzdanosti. Na osnovu deskriptivne statističke analize utvrdili smo, između ostalog, da u okviru najstarije kategorije nastavnika 10% smatra da im usavršavanje nije više potrebno, i isto toliko oseća zamor usled dugog obavljanja nastavničkog posla, 17% se raduje odlasku u penziju i čak 41% procenjuje da posao obavlja korektno, ali sa manje truda nego ranijih godina. Pomoću t-testa utvrđeno je da su navedena ponašanja više izražena kod starijih nego kod mlađih nastavnika. Međutim, stariji nastavnici procenjuju visokim svoj radni elan i zalaganje jednako kao i mlađi, i iskazuju želju da se angažuju u mentorskom radu sa mlađim kolegama. Zaključujemo da se završni period karijere nastavnika odlikuje dostizanjem platoa u profesionalnom razvoju i nešto slabijom motivacijom za usavršavanjem, ali jednakom posvećenošću i entuzijazmom, praćenim voljom za prenošenjem stečenog iskustva i znanja mlađim kolegama.