Subjective theories of teachers about their role in the construction of school life

Abstract

This paper describes and gives an interpretation to the subjective theories that high school teachers of public schools of La Serena (Chile) produce about their professional role in the construction of school life. It is performed through a qualitative approach with a case study design, data collection, and grounded theory analysis procedure. With this objective in mind, 4 group interviews involving 30 teachers from 4 high schools have been carried out. Some of the results obtained show that teachers define their students as lacking and with diverse needs. This would lead them to justify the use of different functions in their pedagogical practice, and also define a relationship with the students in an individual or group perspective. Also, they explain the students’ behavior within the classroom and how they guide their procedures for handling discipline. From this, school life dynamics are set and continually reconstructed, and they are subjectively validated by means of professional experience throughout the years.