Social Awareness Modernization Life Satisfaction and Professional Development of Higher Education Teachers

Abstract

Teaching has always been considered as indispensable for the preservation and development of the intellectual life and civilization of mankind. The accumulated knowledge and experience of the human race is passed down from one generation to another, largely through teaching. The very foundation of our social order rests upon the ideas, attitudes and actions of the citizens who are trained within the classrooms. Teachers, as such determine to a large extent the destiny of a nation. Teaching is a profession which is characterized by adequately long period of academic training, an organized body of knowledge on which the undertaking is based, an appropriate duration of formal and thorough professional training in tandem with practical experience in the field and code of professional ethics that binds its members into a fraternity. When the profession concerned is teaching, these dimensions acquire critical importance in view of several factors. There is, first of all, the traditional idealism, esteem and importance attached to the role of teacher and the very high societal expectations from the teacher. Teaching, essentially, is also a moral undertaking although information transmission dominates the teacherand#8223;s work. Teachers are concerned in an important way with the total development of human beings physical, intellectual, social, moral and spiritual. While the dimensions of teaching other than the informational and cognitive may have suffered disregard in modern times due to a variety of factors, one cannot deny that they constitute an fundamental part of the teacherand#8223;s role and functions. The implication of this for teacher education programmes and institutions is that due emphasis should be given to developing in the teacher proper attitudes, values and outlook apart from training one as a skilled crafts person. This aspect of the making of a teacher is recognized as a very important quality dimension of teacher education. The teacher has a powerful and abiding influence in the formation of the character of...