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The
successful teacher is one who demonstrates a
sincere dedication to the profession of teaching
and genuine care and concern for each child. It
is always an advantage to an individual if he
loves doing what he does, either for a living or
for fun.
A
teacher should conduct herself/himself in a
manner which shows commitment to the profession
of education.
Teacher
commitment and engagement has been identified as
one of the most critical factors in the success
and future of education (Huberman, 1997, Nais,
1981). It contributes to teachers' work
performance, absenteeism, burnout and turnover,
as well as having an important influence on
students' achievement in, and attitudes toward
school (Firestone, 1996; Graham, 1996; Louis,
1998; Tsui & Cheng, 1999).
A teacher’s
commitment to his job is ought to decrease
during the process of which they develop their
connection with their career. Teacher commitment
may be enhanced or diminished by factors such as
student behavior, collegial and administrative
support, parental demands, and national
education policies (Day, 2000; Louis, 1998;
Riehl & Sipple, 1996; Tsui & Cheng, 1999).
Evidence presented at the UNESCO International
Conference on Education in 1996 suggests that
reform policies in many countries in recent
years have led to deterioration in the working
conditions of teachers, in turn producing
demoralization, abandonment of the profession,
absenteeism, and a negative impact on the
quality of education offered to students
(Tedesco, 1997).
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