[George Atzemian]

The view which is widely shared in official documents in Greece is that the status
and attractiveness of the teaching profession must be raised if its critical role to
contribute to the well-being of the Greek contemporary society and economy is to be
fully realized. From a range of policies currently being implemented in Greece aiming
at the improvement of teacher education and teacher quality, it can be safely concluded
that at least teachers’ organizations do not regard resourcing and salary levels the only
elements constituting the whole of the quality story. The nature and the extent of the
pre- and in-service teacher education and training, alternative forms of career structuring, improved career opportunities, other conditions of service and benefits have also
been identified as aims of current reform or for potential improvement. Since mid1980s, the idea of quality in teacher education—especially in teachers’ views—has been
related to classroom practice and pedagogy as well as to curriculum issues, assumed to
contribute in this way to the strengthening of teachers’ professional identity. Althoughthe government has appeared to be more closely defining quality in teacher education
than any other interest group in education, there have been discrepancies or omissions
between definitions. It is sometimes not clear (at least in scientific terms)—although
some explanations of a partisan nature can be found—why one view is taken rather than
another and the definitions sometimes appear expedient. There are also tensions
between the ideological view of the teacher and the practice and between the dominant
definition of the “good teacher” and the teachers’ definition. Therefore, a review of
different criteria of “good teacher” over the years should conclude that different
conceptions of “good” have prevailed at different times. Surprisingly, in Greece the
dominant conception that has survived since Second World War coincides with the
view that good teachers are civil servants who are expected to fulfil a role prescribed by
the national guidelines, as these are firmly set by the Ministry of Education, although
in reality teachers are expected to play a wider range of roles.

Link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0261976950180109

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