International Perspectives on Veteran Teachers by Ben-Peretz, Miriam; McCulloch, Gary;

Short description:

This book examines the nature of veteran teachers and their varied roles and contributions to schools and education in different countries and cultures.  It explores what we mean by a ‘veteran teacher’, the factors that encourage teachers to remain in the profession, the characteristics of a successful veteran teacher, and the values with which veteran teachers associate themselves.

This book was first published as a Special Issue of Teachers and Teaching.

Long description:

What is a veteran teacher, and how do veteran teachers contribute to schools and education? This international volume contributes to our understanding of veteran teachers with new conceptual studies and empirical research from different countries around the world. It is explores what we mean by a ‘veteran teacher’; the factors that encourage teachers to remain in the profession; the characteristics of a successful veteran teacher; and the values with which veteran teachers associate themselves.

Rather than supporting stereotypes about teachers at different stages in their professional lives, this book both scrutinises prevalent stereotypes and explores the great variety of veteranship in teaching, in different cultures and different subject matter domains. Teacher retention is an increasingly difficult issue and there are severe problems of high staff turnover and attrition in many countries - so recognition of the qualities of more experienced teachers is timely, as well as valuing the potential contributions of veteran teachers in schools. The book also addresses broader issues about teachers’ lives and identities, the vulnerability of different groups of teachers to the effects of change and reform, and the various forms of teacher knowledge and teacher development.

This book was previously published as a Special Issue of Teachers and Teaching.

Table of Contents:

1. International perspectives on veteran teachers: introduction  Miriam Ben-Peretz and Gary McCulloch  2. The moral universe of Mr Chips: veteran teachers in British literature and drama  Gary McCulloch  3. Distinctive qualities of expert teachers  Amy B.M. Tsui  4. Veteran teachers: commitment, resilience and quality retention  Christopher Day and Qing Gu  5. The role of ‘accomplished teachers’ in professional learning communities: uncovering practice and enabling leadership  Ann Lieberman and Désirée H. Pointer Mace  6. What it takes to stick it out: two veteran inner-city teachers after 25 years  Rosetta Marantz Cohen  7. The secrets of successful veteran biology teachers: metaphors of evolution, regeneration, and adaptation  Billie Eilam  8. The game veteran theatre teachers are playing: anatomy of musings  Shifra Schonmann