Research On The Status Quo And Improvement Of Shanghai Junior Middle School Teachers’ Professional Identity

Teachers ’professional identity embodies teachers’ employ-ability,and is also the psychological basis for teachers to finish their work as well as they can.Besides,it reflects teachers ’ professional quality,and distinguishes them from other practitioners,too.What’s more,the high-level teacher’s professional identity is even one of the essential characteristics of the outstanding teachers.Therefore,we should pay attention to the importance of teachers ’professional identity.Teachers’ professional identity refers to the combination of teachers ’positive cognition,emotional experience and behavioral tendency for their own profession.It reflects their work status during a period of time,and also reflect their life status from the side.Thus,it can be a realistic basis for making or carrying out a policy.By the analysis of many researches,this study digs more details about teachers’ professional identity,such as the characteristics and the influencing factors of teachers’ professional identity.Based on all of them,this study defines seven dimensions of teachers’ professional identity and compiles a questionnaire.The seven dimensions are professional values,professional role values,professional environment identity,professional requirements and treatment identity,professional relationship identity,professional competence and efficacy identity,professional behavioral tendencies.Through the self-compiled questionnaire,251 junior middle school teachers from6 junior middle schools in Shanghai were surveyed in this research.The findings of the survey are as follows: First,junior middle school teachers in Shanghai have a high level of professional identity,but there are still differences between the dimensions,for example,there are significant difference between the professional competence and efficacy identity and the professional requirements and treatment identity.Second,there are significant differences in gender,monthly family income and subjects taught,and there are very significant differences in personal monthly income in Shanghai junior middle school teachers’ professional identity.In terms of different marital conditions,teaching ages,ages,titles,positions,academic qualifications,whether or not graduated from teaching major,the number of subjects taught,grades taught,class hours,location of the registered permanent resident,location of school,whether or not has a relative worked as a teacher,whether the only child of a family or not,access to the job,subjects taught are consistent with majors studied or not,there aren’tsignificant differences.Third,work stability is the primary reason that the teachers chose to be engaged in this profession.Four,teachers are well aware of the importance of their own job and the diversity of their job roles.Five,some teachers have negative emotions due to the low pay,burdensome work tasks,multiple roles,and overwork state,their professional happiness are low.Besides,some teachers,students and parents were interviewed.The results of the survey and interviews highlight four issues that may hinder teachers ’professional identity: Heavy workload,Low salary,Low social status,Disturbing state of health.Therefore,this study suggests that: In terms of workload,firstly,not only should teachers make full use of time,but also schools and the government should shorten teachers ’invisible working hours.Secondly,the government,schools and teachers should make flexible use of human resources to reduce the workload of teachers,especially teachers in charge of a class.In terms of salary and treatment,on the one hand,the school and the government must step up the construction of teachers ’apartments or increase teachers’ housing subsidies to achieve the goal of reducing the cost of living for teachers.On the other hand,they must improve teachers ’salary and treatment so that teachers’ cost and pay match,and they can really experience the sense of gain.In terms of social status,first,the government and schools must raise teachers ’wages to improve teachers’ economic status.Secondly,it is necessary to provide civil servants’ welfare to teachers,so as to realize the vision of equal pay for equal work between teachers and civil servants as soon as possible,and improve the social status of teachers.Finally,it is necessary to increase the construction of teachers ’ethics,and strive to create a good atmosphere of respecting teachers in the whole society by media.In terms of physical condition,first,the government and schools must shorten teachers’ working hours,return the weekends back to teachers,free teachers from overload,and have time and energy to maintain their bodies.Second,government and schools must correct the position and clarify the attitude,and do not advocate the work product at the cost of teachers’ health.Third,they should spread healthy working way by media.