Abstract
Teacher professionalism has become a key focus of education policy worldwide, however, there is no common understanding of what a ‘professional’ teacher means. Existing studies rely mostly on the experiences of teachers in high income, industrialised and predominantly Western contexts, while teachers’ experiences in the Global South are rarely addressed. This paper aims to contribute to this discussion examining perceptions of teacher professionalism at the national and local level in Sierra Leone. The study draws on a longitudinal mixed-methods study, incorporating both survey and ethnographic fieldwork in one of the poorest rural districts of northern Sierra Leone. The analysis revealed a disconnect between the neoliberal concepts found in the national policies and understanding of professionalism at the grassroots level that is focused on extended social roles of teachers within communities. It problematizes the uncritical application of global Western-based concepts to other contexts and shows an urgent need of an open dialogue on teacher professionalism that would include multiple views and perspectives.
Published Version
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