Secondary teaching as a profession in Brazil and the United States.

Abstract

The secondary teaching profession in Brazil is compared with the secondary teaching profession in the United States. The role of the secondary teaching profession is influenced by cultural values and beliefs, as well as by social and economic conditions. Similarities and differences in the role and preparation of secondary teachers in Brazil and the United States are identified and related to the historical and cultural contexts in which they have developed. The role of the secondary teaching professions in these two cultures is examined through the analysis of two types of data. Historical trends and cultural processes which have influenced the development of the secondary teaching professions are identified through a comparison of information obtained from the education literature. A second body of data consisted of information about professional status and job satisfaction collected through questionnaires distributed to secondary teachers in Petropolis, Rio de Janeiro and Tucson, Arizona. Qualitative as well as quantitative techniques were used to analyze these data, so that cultural values and beliefs could be identified along with statistically significant differences in the teachers' responses. When historical and cultural factors affecting secondary education were examined, five major patterns were identified. These patterns were related to the role of the Catholic church in education, the social function of education, centralization of the educational system, the social and political organizations shaping secondary education, and funding for education. Questionnaire responses indicated that low pay was the most important factor affecting job satisfaction for both Brazilian and American secondary teachers. There were significant differences, however, in the social rankings of education related professions in the two countries. Brazilian teachers ranked the professions of University professor and elementary teachers significantly lower than did the American teachers. American teachers ranked the profession of school principal significantly lower than did the Brazilian teachers. The two groups of teachers shared similar feelings about the effects of factors such as national politics and parental cooperation on their professions.