reviews.

Reading Review 1

The Professional Identity of Secondary School Teachers in Spain - Crisis and Reconstruction
Please visit the following link to this review or read below:

http://public.iwork.com/document/?a=p292480804&d=TAB_Reading_Review_1.pages

The Professional Identity of Secondary School Teachers in Spain

Antonio Bolivar and Jesus Domingo

Theory and Research in Education 2006

I chose this particular journal article to review because the topic of teacher professionalism has been discussed at length in several of my classes in the Education faculty. As a result, it seems to me that this topic is one that should be taken into consideration as a soon to be teacher about to enter not only a foreign environment through the Teaching Across Borders program, but who may also be starting a career in a short time upon arrival back from Spain. Developing one's identity as a teacher is, as I have found in my field placement experiences, a lengthy process. Part of the appeal of this article to me was reading about how outside forces so to speak, can have a dramatic impact on the identity that one has worked hard to create and improve.

Summary:

Spain has undergone several educational reforms in the last twenty years as a result of changing government systems and the continued battle between various political parties and their beliefs on education. In 1990, an Education Act was introduced that changed what is known as 'lower secondary education' (essentially equivalent to junior high in Canada) to more resemble primary education. The shift in belief with this change was that education should be for everyone, not just the rich. Previously in Spanish education history, there was a dual system in which the private sector catered to those who could afford such tuition costs while the lower sector was for lower income families and students. This 1990 Education Act made sense in theory but actually caused more harm than good.

Despite the optimistic underpinning of the reform, the practice of such ideas was not as positive. The return to curricular centralization, along with other demands of teachers and schools, was not in the realm of what teachers had been trained to do. The continued political battlefield made it near impossible for teachers to maneuver their classrooms.

Because teaching is such a personal occupation, the identity crisis developing through the new Education Act was a significant problem because, as one can imagine, frustration began to leak into what was being done in the classroom.

"Passion in teaching is political, precisely because it is also personal. So we are left to face a pressing anxiety about the future: if teaching as work is successfully deprofessionalised, as many argue is the present intention of government policies all over the world, it will necessarily also be depersonalized. " pg.343

Coping with new demands continues to create the crisis of identity. Teachers are now faced with internal thoughts of escape rather than the passion and commitment they previously felt for teaching and for their students. The stress of under preparedness in their teacher training for these new circumstances is evident in the following thought:

"The secondary teacher's job has been changed in such a way that the function of public instruction that characterized secondary school teachers has been modified and broadened to an educational function similar to the one primary school teachers have been carrying out. Unlike other teaching collectives, there is no correspondence between their academic preparation and the conditions of access to the teaching profession, and the job they really have to do nowadays. " pg. 345

This crisis in Spanish schools has led the authors of this article to the conclusion that there are many facets of being an educator, and as seen here,  maintaining one's professional identity and the effects that politics can have on this is a considerable variable in one's teaching practice. Much of teaching is individual; we are all different people and have different ways of doing things. This is not limited to the classroom but personal life as well. The issue here is that a much larger body governs education and as such, educational reform is often about the big picture, and not the micro, individual picture that, in both the author's opinion and mine, makes teaching so wonderful and unique.

Impact:

Not only did this article open my eyes to the history of the education system in Spain, but it also continued to build on part of my teaching philosophy that I have been developing over the past year and a half. One of the most important elements of my teaching practice is to always be myself while I teach. In my opinion, it makes me a better teacher. My question after reading this article is how did these affected teachers lose so much of their identity in the face of these reforms? Certainly it is understandable that many teachers were perhaps uncomfortable in their new position and as someone with limited experience under my belt, perhaps this is something I may understand in greater depth in the future. Nevertheless, professional and personal identity is a large part of developing one's profile as a teacher.

Referring once again to Spain, I am very interested to meet teachers who perhaps were a part of the struggles with educational reform around the 1990's and to hear their stories. Another component of my interest in this article is the fact that I would like to pursue a Masters degree in Education in the near future. Learning about education systems in different countries will enrich my understanding of teaching for myself and education in Canada.

Reading Review 2 

Cultural Diversity and School Equality: Intercultural Education in Spain from a European Perspective

Please visit the following link to this review or read below:

http://public.iwork.com/document/?a=p292480804&d=TAB_Reading_Review_2.pages 

Cultural Diversity and School Equality

Teresa Aguado and Beatriz Malik

As I continue to prepare for my voyage to Spain, I have been researching about various components of the Spanish education system in order to better understand the environment I will soon be living and teaching in. This particular article was very informative and speaks about an educational topic that is very close to home for those of us in Canada; cultural diversity. It is a thought provoking article when one reflects on his or her teaching experience and the diversity that exists in the classroom. Specifically, this article speaks about the history of Spain's education system, along with the recent increase in immigrant students.

Summary:

First of all, it is useful to know that in Spain, education is mandatory for children aged 6-16. There are 10 major communities in which major education centers exist. These bodies have authority and as such, much to do with education in schools is mandated by each community, rather than just by the government.

The attention to cultural diversity in Spanish schools has always existed, however, with the recent increase in landed immigrants, more attention is being devoted to the issue than before. Approximately 2% of Spain's total population are immigrants (both legal and illegal). As such, it is believed that there needs to be some change in order to accommodate the more diverse range of learners.

The idea spreading throughout Spain is one in which inclusion is highlighted. The following excerpt from the article summarizes this:

"Educational approach based in respect for and recognition of cultural diversity, aimed at every member of the society as a whole, that proposes an intervention model, formal and informal, holistic, integrated and encompassing all dimensions of the educational process in order to accomplish a real equality of opportunities/results, to promote Intercultural communication and competency, and to overcome racism in all it's expressions." pg. 150

In Europe, the idea of cultural diversity is becoming the norm as opposed to the previous notion of assimilation. As it stands, there needs to be a stronger link between new theory with regards to diversity in schools and the actual practice of said theory. In Spain, socio-political issues play a large role in the reason why educational authorities have not really dealt with the need for reform in response to diversity. The 1985 Right to Education Act specifically outlines that education should be accessible to foreigners. The more recent 1990 Education Act does not express this opinion as obviously.

Although there is a definite move in the right direction, the effects of new ideas with regards to culture have not yet begun to trickle down into the classroom. The article notes that there is a significant lack of direction and resources at the school level resulting in a lack of follow through of new initiatives.

Interestingly, Spain is still undergoing a rather recent juggle of duties. Up until recently, foreign student affairs were not dealt with by the Education ministry but rather through a different government department. Consequently, this is new to them.

Specifically in Barcelona where I will be teaching, there is a movement called the "Program for Education in Diversity" that was implemented in 1988-1989. This program aims to provide support and schooling to Gypsy students, offers training for teachers, provides youth with skills to later enter the labour market and sets out to improve self-esteem of students. The article points out once again that while significant care has been used in developing such programs, there is little evidence in this case to show whether or not it is effective. There are similar programs being developed in other regions of Spain as well.

With regards to curricular design, much of it is done at the individual school level in Spain. Teachers are required to get together at the beginning of the year to develop various assignments and marking schemes and to conclude, they submit a report at the end of the year. It is mandated that all teacher actions should be infused with interculturalism.

The notion of "difference" is certainly a part of education dialogue in Spain but according to the authors, the practice is not displaying the theory in many cases. They do acknowledge that some areas of Spain are implementing strategies to enhance diversity in education better than others but that there is still a long way to go.

Impact:

Cultural diversity is known to be a large component in Canadian schools. While I did not experience a range of cultural diversity that resulted in any sort of difficulty for me as a teacher in my field placements, I know of several colleagues who encountered situations that called for flexibility and creativity. I found this article to be very interesting because I did not recognize Spain as necessarily being as culturally diverse as this article pointed out. My previous knowledge of Spain was that it is a very, for lack of a better term, 'Spanish' place in that there isn't a noticeable combination of ethnic backgrounds as there is in Canada. The information provided in this article is especially helpful for myself as a teacher going to an 'unknown land' to better prepare me for the potential of teaching in a very diverse environment. I think it will be very eye opening to see if any of the aforementioned initiatives are actively being pursued in my field placement in Spain and to see how students from different countries fit into the school system in Spain.

The article also mentions that individual school communities (presumably the major city centers) have more control over curricular planning to suit their cultural contexts. I think this would be interesting to be a part of, especially in music which is my area of specialty. In Alberta, music teachers tend to teach around festivals and performance, rather than the curriculum because it naturally coincides with festival objectives. I am interested in different viewpoints and approaches in both curricular design and multiculturalism.

Reading Review 3 

Is Spain Sleepwalking into Educational Apartheid?

Please visit the following link to this review or read below:

http://public.iwork.com/document/?a=p292480804&d=TAB_Reading_Review_3.pages 

As a soon to be teacher who has recently been applying to different school districts, I was interested in reading about the difference between public and private schools in Spain. While there are certainly differences between private, charter and public schools in Alberta, I was curious to see if the same types of differences existed in Spain. This particular article focuses on the Basque region of Spain as opposed to the major city centers such as Madrid and Barcelona.

Summary:

Specific to the Basque region, private schools are actually publicly funded by tax payers. In addition to the funds received from the public, these private schools are also funded by the state and have the freedom to charge extra for books and other supplies  They are described as being "open to all" however, according to the author of this article, this is not really the case as will be explained in further detail later. 

The student mentioned in this article persuaded her parents to allow her, one year prior to graduation, to switch to a different school. Currently attending a public school, this student chose to move to a private school organized by the Catholic church. Previously, she was frustrated with a lack of care from her teachers and the fact that her brother failed his state examination. Now at a private school, the student reports being significantly more pleased with her education in regards to those areas.

These private schools, known as concertadas, are reported to have better facilities and a greater use of and access to technology. Students attending concertadas have higher exam marks than students attending public schools. In 1985 when private schools first made their appearance, they were characterized by being publicly funded, could determine their own teacher wages and were not required to abide as closely to the curriculum.

The main argument presented in the article is that these "open to all" schools are actually quite selective. Due to high tuition costs and a religious approach to education, many families cannot attend these schools. It is thought that the divide between private and public is resulting in segregation.  A certain student profile has been created as being suitable to attend these concertadas. While the premise behind these schools is education for all, not everyone feels welcome. It is noted that the majority of students are white, and diversity is not evident.

For teachers, especially new teachers, concertadas are a good option. The article notes that several teachers feel that the environment is ideal to work in. In the public sector, new teachers are required to work for 2-3 years before they are able to obtain a permanent contract. To work at a concertada teachers do not have to have a prerequisite teaching experience.

Impact:

As previously mentioned, as a new teacher, I am still learning about the various components of education and the differences between the various districts and types of schools in Canada. Traveling to another country presents an entirely new system of education that I am not familiar with, but that I am very interested in discovering. I felt it was important to learn as much as possible about the Spanish education system and the differences between schools in Spain prior to departure.

Having attended Canadian Catholic schools, I was surprised to read that the private, Catholic run, schools in Spain seem to be much different than the schools I have experienced. A major difference of course is the tuition rate. The tuition for concertadas outlined in the article is 8 000 Euros per year. This would be approximately equivalent to the tuition in what we refer to as a private school in Canada, as opposed to the separate or Catholic districts. In my second reading review, I read an article about multiculturalism in the Spanish education system. It is a work in progress, and perhaps schools such as those in the Basque country add to this due to the reported separation that they seem to create.

In combination with the previous reviews I have completed, it seems as though Spain has a very diverse range of schooling choices that are continually undergoing change and reform. I will be arriving in Spain during a time of economic distress and as such, I wonder if there will be any significant changes or cuts to education. Because these concertada schools are publicly funded, it is possible that perhaps cuts will be made and schools will suffer. This will certainly be something to watch during my stay and to inquire as to how certain schools cope under various circumstances. While I am not located in the Basque country during my time in Spain,  it will be something to watch.