Professional relationships both within and outside the school: barriers and opportunities from an intergenerational perspective
Journal of Professional Capital and Community
ISSN: 2056-9548
Article publication date: 11 October 2022
Issue publication date: 17 November 2022
Abstract
Purpose
This paper draws on data from a research project that examined the professional relationships that existed between teachers of different generations within an educational setting, including both those inside and outside school.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was adopted to better understand participants' intergenerational relationships. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews conducted online. Data analysis was carried out using Atlas.ti 22 software. This focused on participants' professional relationships, generationally-inflected professional relationships, links to the school and connections with their environment.
Findings
The paper shows that commitment to the profession and work climate were among the key aspects referred to by the interviewees. The different age groups agreed that they had experienced intergenerational feedback and that there was closer contact between peers of the same generation, which led to greater levels of affinity. The shared responsibility that comes with teaching and the sense of belonging were essential links to the school. The generational groups underlined the importance of building bridges and participating in collaborative networks to form connections with their environment.
Originality/value
Although several studies have considered various factors influencing professional relationships from an intergenerational perspective, this paper adds value to the existing literature by providing new data and analyzing the barriers and opportunities experienced by teachers of different generations (novice, veteran and retired) in their professional work within and beyond the educational setting.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank all the participants and organizations involved in the study for their commitment and support.
Funding: This work was funded by the Ministry of Science and Innovation (Spain), AEI (Spain) and European Regional Development Fund (EU) [Project RTI2018-098806-B-I00].
Citation
Azorín, C., Portela, A., Nieto, J.M. and Alfageme, M.B. (2022), "Professional relationships both within and outside the school: barriers and opportunities from an intergenerational perspective", Journal of Professional Capital and Community, Vol. 7 No. 4, pp. 406-418. https://doi.org/10.1108/JPCC-08-2022-0047
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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