Teacher Professionalism

Teachers are the most responsible and important members of society because their professional effort affect the fate of the earth (Caldicott, 2014). Their thoughts, values and actions are somehow shaped by events and by people with whom they come in contract with. They, in turn, help shape society- its events, its people and its density (Corpuz, 2015).
Teachers play a significant role in any educational system. Hence, they are expected to possess dignity and reputation, high moral values, and technical and professional competence. A teacher’s professionalism is viewed in terms of his professional autonomy, accountability, ethical conduct and knowledge which should be evident inside and outside the workplace. The concept of teaching as an ideal

In the last decades, they have seen favorable developments in the teaching profession to ensure “that all children have access to skillful teachers to make the teaching profession more attractive to talented young adults and to produce humane and intellectually lively learning communities for both students and teachers”. (Hammond 2015)
On January 1, 1977, Presidential Decree 1006 was declared providing for the Professionalization of Teachers, Regulating Their Practice in the Philippines, otherwise known as the Decree Professionalizing Teaching was proclaimed.
In addition, the Republic Act No. 7836 was declared with the purpose of strengthening Regulation and Supervision of the Practice of Teaching in the Philippines and prescribing a Licensure Examination for Teachers and for other purposes that the state recognizes the vital role of teachers in nation building and development through responsible and literate

(Goodson, 2011). Whereas professionalism focuses on the question of what qualifications and acquired capacities, what competence is required for the successful exercise of an occupation (England, 2015). The concept of professionalism is defined from the point of different perspectives and then how these definitions are associated to teaching profession is analyzed. In teaching it is commonly discussed on sociological, educational and ideological bases in literature. The key ideas of professionalism approaches underlying these bases are reflected in brief and the light of multiple perspectives and arguments, workable definition for today’s teacher professionalism notion and an interpretation embracing these perspectives are tried to be presented. (Evan