Teacher Identity in an Era of Educational Reform: The case of Trinidad and Tobago

The pace of educational reform has been increasing significantly at the global level and teachers have significant roles to play in such reform movements. This paper compares the beginning teacher identity of primary teacher trainees in Trinidad and Tobago with the concept of the teacher that seems to underpin present reform initiatives. Beginning teacher identity, explored through the use of a questionnaire and interviews, is portrayed as images and metaphors. It seems to encapsulate the missionary ideology of teaching and the notion of child-centred pedagogy, with the classroom as the centre of interaction between pupil and teacher. The reforms, on the other hand, look to teachers to support, as well, the decentralisation effort that calls for collaboration with the community, and the promotion of continuous assessment practices that calls for collaboration across grade levels in the school. Both the community focus and the school focus are likely to pose problems for beginning teachers who maintain a classroom focus. The paper highlights the need for reform efforts to take into account the gaps between existing teacher identity images and those envisioned for the reformed system.     

An Example of European-North African Collaboration: the implementation of an electrical engineering postgraduate programme in Tunisia

The authors, a Tunisian head of engrneering school and a European professor, have established an electrical engineering graduate programme in Tunis. They have defined a procedure of international co-operation which allows the definition of a research strategy in the developing institution from its inception. In panicular, foreign professors who collaborate have an intimate knowledge of the aims of the whole organisation. Details of the developments over the last 10 years are given.