Semantic codes of the modern profession “Teacher”: Invariants and innovations

Abstract

The article presents the results of the analysis of the semantic codes of the profession “Teacher” in the modern circumstances. The invariant meanings of educational activity are reconstructed on the basis of proverbs and sayings, which reflect and express collective wisdom in an aphoristic form, which save and transmit the ontological meanings of teaching. The invariant meanings accumulate social ideas about the teacher, represented by everyday beliefs of social actors about the profession “Teacher”. It is established that the semantic codes of teaching, saved in the culture and collective memory of social groups, testify to the reference, significance and authority of the Teacher. However, an analysis of the research results of the teaching profession social perceptions indicates that it is assessed in the format of low profitability, low prestige and the absence of significant prospects and limited opportunities for the personal growth. It is argued that the identified discrepancy between cultural codes and social meanings of the profession “Teacher” is due to many factors, including the scale and frequency of social changes. These changes involve the emergence of teacher’s new functions, the expansion of the teacher’s professional competencies including mediatior activities and conflict management processes to the framework of teaching activities. The applied aspect of the analytical research lies in the possibility of using its results for the development of socio-psychological trainings, psychological and pedagogical programs for supporting the subjects of the educational process, educational programs and professional standards.

Keywords

• social psychology
• image of a teacher
• cultural codes
• invariant meanings
• expansion of the catalog of teacher functions
• innovative codes of teaching activity