The Chartered Teacher scheme in Scotland: a survey of the views of teachers

摘要

This article is based upon an online survey of 1182 teachers in 20 local authorities across Scotland. The aim of the survey was to ascertain the views of teachers on the Chartered Teacher scheme, which was introduced in Scotland in 2002. The questions asked teachers' views on the structure of the scheme, its success to date and what changes they felt should be made. The article traces the twin origins of the scheme; that of a national framework for continuing professional development, and the changes to teachers' conditions of service brought about by the McCrone Agreement. In particular, it highlights differences between the stated aim in both developments of rewarding excellence in teaching and the structure of the present scheme, which does not directly assess excellence. Evaluations of the scheme are reviewed for the purposes of comparison with the survey. The survey concludes that teachers were, by a small margin, positive about the scheme, with those who knew the work of a Chartered Teacher being significantly more positive than those who did not. Nevertheless, considerable concerns still remain amongst teachers—notably about cost, workload and the fundamental philosophy behind the scheme.