The Image of a University Teacher in Public Conscience
https://doi.org/10.22162/2075-7794-2016-26-4-226-233
Abstract
The article discusses the higher education system reforms in Russia which entail changes in attitudes towards knowledge and higher education that are no longer perceived as something good and valuable as such but rather — as services to be purchased. Higher education is becoming a social norm which dramatically reduces its value. Nowadays for many citizens of Russia a Diploma of Higher Education merely acts as a guarantee of employment and it is “the status (that) guarantees a certain material welfare”. Under the influence of the reforms and information delivered by the media concerning corruption and other negative processes in the educational system, public opinions change as well. And just like
in the case of higher education in general, public opinions regarding the teaching staff of universities as the main performers whose work is more accessible and open to public criticism than that of administrative or branch departments — change and vary. In view of the aforesaid, the hypothesis of the present study is that in the minds of representatives of various social groups — the image of a Russian university teacher is negative or close to it. The sampling frame of the research included 160 respondents who graduated from institutions of higher education at different times. The selection of respondents was based on quota sampling. The main indicator for sample selection was “the graduation year”: before 1991, 1992–2003, 2004–2008, 2009 — till present. Applying the method of questionnaire surveys, the authors identifi ed the respondents’ opinions regarding the prestige of the profession of a teacher, its complexity, assessments of their attitudes towards the professional group of teachers and, thus, depicted the image of a teacher that has emerged in modern Russian society. The survey study resulted in the conclusions (unifi ed opinions) as follows:
1. A university teacher is a specialist engaged in professional education of young people who also acts as mentor that provides knowledge on the subject and shares experiences students might benefit from in future.
2. The occupational prestige ranking of a university teacher is estimated as average, the degree of complexity being high.
3. In general, the respondents show positive attitudes towards the professional group of teachers.
About the Authors
A. P. Istomina
North-Caucasus Federal University
Russian Federation
Ph. D. in Sociology, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
Russian Federation
Ph. D. in Sociology, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology
A. S. Samoylova
North-Caucasus Federal University
Russian Federation
Graduate Student (M. A.), Department of Sociology
Russian Federation
Graduate Student (M. A.), Department of Sociology
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Review
For citations:
Istomina A.P., Samoylova A.S. The Image of a University Teacher in Public Conscience. Oriental Studies. 2016;9(4):226-233. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22162/2075-7794-2016-26-4-226-233
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