The teaching profession in XXIst Century Spain described through teacher testimonies

Abstract

The various characteristics comprising the teaching profession is constantly under review. Here we analyse the profile of a teacher by studying the perceptions that teachers have regarding their own professional competencies and skills, highlighting the societal demands placed on them and the way in which they respond. This study was achieved by analysing 333 booklets containing the testimonies of retired teachers, randomly selected from 1,500 booklets which comprise the collection of «Testimonies of School Life» housed at the Pedagogical Museum of the University of Salamanca (Centro Museo Pedagógico – CeMuPe). Among many other aspects, these booklets preserve the teachers’ reflections concerning the characteristics of their profession in the 21st century and the professional skills needed most for performing their job satisfactorily. The analysis of the teachers’ perceptions indicated that vocation is considered by the majority to be the most important factor; female teachers place more importance on vocation than male teachers; and young teachers advocate for a higher level of professionalism in their teaching practices.