Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers

This research shows that Gambian teachers have complex reasons for joining and remaining in the teaching profession. It builds upon the literature concerning teachers' professionalism in developing countries by describing and analysing Gambian teachers' professional discourses. This thesis...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Roberts-Holmes, Guy
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 1999
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10925/
_version_ 1848791155872890880
author Roberts-Holmes, Guy
author_facet Roberts-Holmes, Guy
author_sort Roberts-Holmes, Guy
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description This research shows that Gambian teachers have complex reasons for joining and remaining in the teaching profession. It builds upon the literature concerning teachers' professionalism in developing countries by describing and analysing Gambian teachers' professional discourses. This thesis argues that Gambian teachers are active participants who create 'narratives of action' which assert their professionalism. Gambian teachers understand their work as professional through the overlapping moral discourses of nationalism and Islam. These professional discourses sustain and empower Gambian teachers who often work in difficult material conditions. Current literature on teachers' professional lives and careers is predominately North American and European. By providing a 'space' within which Gambian teachers' 'storied narratives' may be heard, this thesis geographically adds to the literature on teachers' professionalism. Gambian teachers' 'genealogies of context' are based upon histories, religions and cultures different to those found within Europe or North America. Thus Gambian teachers' professionalism is situated within specific geographical and cultural discourses. Despite the concept of a Gambian situated professionalism, the thesis discusses those professional discourses which are shared between Gambian teachers and teachers in Europe and North America. This work internationally develops the concept that there are different situated professional cultures of teaching and at the same time shared professional teaching discourses.
first_indexed 2025-11-14T18:24:01Z
format Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
id nottingham-10925
institution University of Nottingham Malaysia Campus
institution_category Local University
language English
last_indexed 2025-11-14T18:24:01Z
publishDate 1999
recordtype eprints
repository_type Digital Repository
spelling nottingham-109252025-02-28T11:10:18Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10925/ Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers Roberts-Holmes, Guy This research shows that Gambian teachers have complex reasons for joining and remaining in the teaching profession. It builds upon the literature concerning teachers' professionalism in developing countries by describing and analysing Gambian teachers' professional discourses. This thesis argues that Gambian teachers are active participants who create 'narratives of action' which assert their professionalism. Gambian teachers understand their work as professional through the overlapping moral discourses of nationalism and Islam. These professional discourses sustain and empower Gambian teachers who often work in difficult material conditions. Current literature on teachers' professional lives and careers is predominately North American and European. By providing a 'space' within which Gambian teachers' 'storied narratives' may be heard, this thesis geographically adds to the literature on teachers' professionalism. Gambian teachers' 'genealogies of context' are based upon histories, religions and cultures different to those found within Europe or North America. Thus Gambian teachers' professionalism is situated within specific geographical and cultural discourses. Despite the concept of a Gambian situated professionalism, the thesis discusses those professional discourses which are shared between Gambian teachers and teachers in Europe and North America. This work internationally develops the concept that there are different situated professional cultures of teaching and at the same time shared professional teaching discourses. 1999 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10925/1/299562.pdf Roberts-Holmes, Guy (1999) Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Teachers Gambia Professionalism
spellingShingle Teachers
Gambia
Professionalism
Roberts-Holmes, Guy
Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers
title Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers
title_full Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers
title_fullStr Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers
title_full_unstemmed Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers
title_short Towards an understanding of Gambian teachers' lives and careers
title_sort towards an understanding of gambian teachers' lives and careers
topic Teachers
Gambia
Professionalism
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10925/