Teacher Professionalism Under Pressure: Institutional Tensions Between Traditionally and Non-Traditionally Trained Teachers

Lutgert, Dennis (2025) Teacher Professionalism Under Pressure: Institutional Tensions Between Traditionally and Non-Traditionally Trained Teachers. Master thesis, Educational Sciences.

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Abstract

The global teacher shortage has accelerated the diversification of teacher recruitment, increasingly integrating non-traditionally trained teachers (NTTs) alongside traditionally trained teachers (TTTs). This shift reconfigures institutional conceptions of teacher professionalism, generating tensions across Scott’s three institutional pillars: regulative, normative, and cultural-cognitive. This conceptual narrative review examines how diversification affects these pillars, distinguishing between hard divides; fundamental disruptions, and soft tensions; adaptive adjustments. Regulative tensions emerge from urgent policy responses, such as Quebec’s emergency certifications, which undermine traditional gatekeeping. England’s Qualified Teacher Status (QTS), by contrast, reflects softer regulatory adaptations that preserve core standards. Normative tensions revolve around competing notions of professional legitimacy. Movements like Quebec’s “Display Your Diploma” signal deep-seated resistance, while England and Flanders demonstrate more negotiated accommodations. Cultural-cognitive tensions appear in Germany, where lateral entry (Seiteneinsteiger) is reshaping public perceptions of teacher identity and diluting traditional imaginaries of professionalism. This study underscores the policymaker’s dilemma: addressing short-term workforce needs without eroding long-term professional standards. Limitations include a reliance on secondary sources, overlapping analytical categories, and a limited geographic focus. Future research should quantify long-term impacts, expand comparative analysis, and trace how diversification reshapes professional identity over time.

Item Type:	Thesis (Master)
Supervisor name:	Coppe, T.
Degree programme:	Educational Sciences
Differentiation route/Track:	Onderwijskunde [Master Educational Sciences]
Date Deposited:	25 Jun 2025 12:21
Last Modified:	25 Jun 2025 12:21
URI:	http://gmwpublic.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/5113

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