GLOBAL PERSPECTIVES ON THE PROFESSIONALISM OF TEACHING The challenges of the new millennium such as the rapid globalization, the

tremendous impacts of information technology, the international transformation towards knowledge-driven economy, the strong demands for societal developments, and the international and regional competitions have driven numerous educational changes in the different parts of the world (Cheng & Townshend, 2000). Policy-makers and educators in each country have to think how to reform education for preparing their young leaders to more effectively cope with the challenges in the new era (Armstrong, Thompson, & Brown, 1997; Hirsch & Weber, 1999). In facing the fast changing environment, many policy-makers and educators get confused with uncertainties and ambiguities and lose their directions in the rapid globalization. There is an urgent need of a comprehensive framework for understanding the impacts of rapid developments and advancing implications for innovations in education. Education systems are reacting differently to the changes in the worlds new economic, political and cultural orders. Globalization has become an influence in nation-states social reforms as education sectors adjust to the new global environments that are characterized by flexibility, diversity, increased competition and unpredictable change. Understanding the effects of globalization on teaching and learning is essential for any policy maker, reform designer and educational leader. According to Carnoy (1999), the approach which governments take in reforming their education sector and its responses to globalization depends on three key factors: the governments objective financial situation, its interpretation of that situation, and its political-ideological position regarding the public sector in education. These three factors are normally spelled out in the macro-economic structural adjustment policies and related large-scale education reform strategies through which countries adjust not only their economies but also their education systems to the new realities. The key purpose of structural adjustment policies in the education sector has been a transition towards global educational standards. This is often done by benchmarking the entire systems of less1

developed countries to those of economically more advanced ones. Unfortunately, governments often think that there is one correct approach to adjustment of education and that certain global education standards need to be met if the system is to perform in an internationally competitive way. Research on education reforms and experiences on structural adjustment suggest that governments need to realize that there is more than one way of proceeding on the way to improvement. The major condition for sustainable evolution of public education and cultivation of democratically functioning nation-states is the kind of reform that is based on the principle of development rather than creation. Globalization and Teacher Professionalism As the postmodern multiple society and globalization developed, education is affected and gradually becomes commodities. Extremely, schools become stores and teachers become peddlers of knowledge. Since the thought of respecting customers and identifying consumers as the best, teacher professionalization is challenged. Should teachers insist on professional viewpoints, or follow the opinions of everyone, particularly of the parents and students? Is it realistic, as the scholarly critics claim, that teachers should be transformative intellectuals? With the advancement of technology and the development of network, teachers are no more the only source of knowledge. In this sense, the teachers specialized abilities and literacy are challenged. Educators who understand this reality know that there is a need for further learning, update themselves, become globally competitive and become masters of teaching and learning so that they will align themselves and respond to the demands of the new society. Teacher educators with a global perspective recognize the commonality within issues and proposed solutions that face education around the world, and they understand the value of upgrading themselves so that education is not just a commodity but an important need to be acquired. They also recognize and act on the professions obligation to ensure that everyone has access to educational opportunity.

Professionalization and Quality Proponents of standards would suggest that, in defining what is expected of teachers atvarious levels, they act as an articulated form of professional status to which teachers can aspire. This in turn will lift the status of teachers in the public perception. According to AITSL (2011), teachers can use the standards to recognize their current and developing capabilities, professional aspirations and achievements. Because the standards are explicit and public they allow teachers to demonstrate levels of professional knowledge, professional practice and professional engagement. In this way teacher standards contribute to the professionalization of teaching and raise the status of the profession. Much of the research and writing of Ingvarson (2010) supports this position which provides a historical perspective on the place of standards in the educational system, suggesting that a properly implemented standards system has the potential to revolutionize professional learning for teachers and school leaders and to create a much more effective systema standards-guided professional learning system, one more fitted to a teaching profession. Teacher professionalization contains not only discipline knowledge or teaching skills but also consciousness of personal faith, attitudes, and values. Moreover, teachers can criticize how the social, cultural, and economic factors influence teaching. Being aware of the influence of teaching condition and ideology can promote teacher professionalization and learning quality. Besides, it can be judged by the critical pedagogy for further improvement. Status of Teacher Professionalism in the Philippines Several changes of globalization and technology have affected the Philippine education system, thus making it attuned and more responsive to the community needs and contribute to the attainment of the countrys national development goals. The challenges to national development goals which education can help provide solution are i) widespread poverty, ii) inequitable distribution of wealth, iii) unemployment and underemployment, iv) population growth, v) low productivity, vi) rural and urban
3

growth disparities, and vii) insufficient domestic resource mobilization (Muhi, et. al, 1986). In many cases, as a consequence of this new global education reform movement, the introduction of various educational standards has become common in modern education development. Considering that development areas are mainly economic problems, education is looked up as source of solutions to produce quality and highly trained manpower to fit in the requirements of economic development. What has followed is an emergence of learning standards for students, teaching standards for

teachers, assessment and curriculum standards for educators, with related indicators, criteria and attainment targets. To contribute in the attainment of these national development goals, the Philippine Education system came up with mandates in all educational levels to uplift the level of education, consequently identifying the responsibility of teachers as contributory reformers of the society: A. The Department of Education (DepEd) The department continually pursues the Constitutional mandate of ensuring the peoples right to education, to wit: The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. (The 1987 Philippine Constitution, Article XIV, Sec. 1) The Departments two primordial goals are to (1) raise the academic standards of basic education; and (2) enhance administrative efficiency in the delivery of educational services in the light of its vision to develop a highly competent, civic-spirited, life-skilled and God-loving Filipino youth who actively participate in and contribute towards the building of a humane, healthy and productive society. And Bawat Graduate- Bayani at Marangal (Every Graduate is a Hero and a Dignified Person). B. The Philippine Commission on Higher Education This commission ensures the attainment of empowered and, globally competitive Filipinos through (a) provision of undergraduate education competitive with international standards of quality and excellence; (b) generation and diffusion of knowledge in the broader range of disciplines relevant and responsive to the dynamically changing domestic and international environment; (c) broadening access of deserving and qualified Filipinos to higher education opportunities; and (d) optimization of social, institutional and individual returns and benefits from the utilization of higher education resources.

The Filipino teachers response to the call of the Philippines education system to enhance and upgrade education and to become globally competitive has provided directions for the professionalization of teaching. Teacher empowerment, democratization of access to education, curricular alignment and retooling, benchmarking with teaching best practices, and strengthening the academic preparation of students in terms of science and technology, mathematics, language proficiency and technological literacy were made possible through implementation of reform strategies instituted in basic and tertiary education system based on the four quality areas: reputational, resources, quality outcomes and value-added views. With the implementation of reforms in all levels of education, both tangible and intangible benefits were realized by the system. Specifically, the reforms have truly rendered teaching as a profession and teachers as professionals as promulgated by Republic Act No. 7836. The reforms have in fact conferred upon teachers the dignity and the worth they have been dreaming of through the years. Today, teachers from government institutions are now at par with their private counterparts not only in terms of monetary benefits but also in terms of opportunities for professional growth through attendance in various in-service education programs intended to upgrade their conceptual, technical and human relation skills. Through these reforms, the high bureaucracy of education has been simplified and has given teachers the status as persons and as professionals. CONCLUSION It is important to recognize of the global nature of the teaching profession. Every Filipino teacher must have the significant time and effort that will uplift and upgrade themselves so that they will be able to respond to the realities of education and learning. Globalization affects all professions - often at a rate and in directions that make it difficult to define their roles in the society. Educators and the institutions around the world need to recognize the importance of interdependence and become connected to

ensure that all people have access and knowledge and learning opportunity and to participate in the global marketplace of information and ideas. To encourage action that will foster the development of teaching and teacher education as global professions, educational institutions and policy bodies are encouraged to adopt and support implementation of resolutions that recognizes the global nature of the profession of teaching and encourage and support policy development and implementation along with activities that promote the use of a global perspective in defining the profession. By acting as a global profession, teachers can face challenges and make efforts to de-professionalize education.*