The Roles, Responsibilities and Obligations of Classroom Teachers

Abstract

This paper presents the findings from a study that examined the role, responsibilities and obligations of classroom/homeroom teachers (hereafter classroom teacher) in six elementary and lower secondary schools in Iceland. According to Icelandic legislation pertaining to compulsory school education (grades 1.–10.) and the Icelandic National Curriculum, every student must have a classroom teacher. The classroom teacher is the students’ spokesperson and assumes responsibility for their learning, development, wellbeing and general welfare, as well as initiating and maintaining effective home-school communications. The central goal of the study was to disclose how the classroom teachers view their own work, both from a personal standpoint and in terms of pedagogical and educational perspectives. Furthermore, the study sought to gain insight into how the classroom teachers ensure the wellbeing of their students and how they establish and maintain fruitful communication with parents or guardians. The study focused on, among other things, the classroom teachers’ ideas regarding their role, what they found strenuous about their position and what aspects of their work they enjoyed. The research questions were therefore as follows: What is the role, responsibilities and obligations of classroom teachers? How do classroom teachers engage with their work? The study was based on qualitative research methodologies, and the data were gathered by means of semi-structured and in-depth interviews with six classroom teachers, from six different schools representing diverse communities, such as the capital city, rural areas and villages. The participants were five women and one man, aged between 29-53 years, with up to 27 years of teaching experience. The findings of the study were categorized in light of different themes that emerged during the research process, namely: 1) the classroom teacher’s roles, obligations and responsibilities; 2) home and school relationships; 3) classroom atmosphere and classroom management; 4) difficulties; 5) successes; and 6) what changes they want to see and future outlook. The findings revealed that the classroom teachers considered care as one of the most important aspects of their work, as well as creating an atmosphere in the classroom where the students’ wellbeing is emphasized and healthy classroom management is maintained. Furthermore, the teachers considered a good parent-teacher relationship both imperative and challenging. Facilitating social and individual learning for the students was also voiced as a top priority, in which the importance of differentiated instruction was emphasised. However, the classroom teachers mentioned stress and feeling underappreciated due to the fact that the role of the classroom teachers has shifted in recent years where the position has become both more diverse and increasingly time-consuming. According to the participants, the position of the classroom teacher requires a more consistent definition in order to meet the changing landscape of modern communication and educational emphases. For example, the teachers noted a need to have their teaching load lowered in order to give them more time to meet these changing demands that their position calls for. What the classroom teachers found most distressing was having to deal with issues regarding students who come from unruly homes, who are being neglected, physically and mentally, or are subject to abuse. Additionally, some of the difficult aspects noted by the classroom teachers was not always being able to create a desired learning environment for all the students. Still, the classroom teachers agreed that the pleasant moments in the classroom outweighed the difficult ones. They found rewarding to experience mutual respect, joy and a pleasant atmosphere, even outside of school, and witness the progress of their students. It is interesting to note how explicit the findings are regarding what it is that evokes joy in teaching. Consequently, the authors hope that this study will encourage further research.