Teachers' Perceptions of Teaching: A Newfoundland Study

Introduction

This study is an exploration of teachers' perceptions or interpretations of their experiences in teaching in Newfoundland. There are several reasons why such an investigation may be of some value (see, also, Appendix I). In the first place, there has been relatively little published material relating to teachers' perceptions or interpretations of their experiences as teachers in Newfoundland. This is unfortunate. A study such as the present one will in all likelihood shed light on the extent of the difficulties teachers claim to encounter in their work, and it is no doubt fairly important to determine how adequate - from the point of view of various interested groups but certainly that of the teachers themselves - the training, preparation or education of teachers has been in terms of enabling them to cope with the "demands" of teaching. Furthermore, if authorities in the school system are aware of the nature of such perceptions or interpretations they may be able at least in some instances to effect changes in the teaching situation or to take other actions which may contribute to modifying teachers' perceptions (perhaps more so the negative ones) of specific aspects of teaching.

Another reason why the present study is potentially of value is that it is likely to alert prospective teachers to the way practising teachers seem to experience teaching.
As a result, the former teachers will be introduced to the character of some "realities" of teaching as defined by those already engaged in such an endeavour.

In this investigation, we are interested also in discovering whether teachers working in differing situations perceive at least some aspects of teaching differently. More specifically, we wish to know whether teachers in small Newfoundland communities tend to differ from those in large ones with respect to their experience of teaching. One reason for our interest in this matter is that, as we have argued elsewhere, new teachers are likely to begin their careers in smaller communities and will probably find it helpful to be aware of the perceptions of teaching held by their colleagues in such communities.