TEACHERS' SOCIAL PRESTIGE AND SELF- PERCEPTION IN THE TEACHING PROFESSION: A COMPARISON BETWEEN SPAIN AND FINLAND

Abstract

This work addresses the self-perception that teachers in Finland and Spain have of themselves, as well as the social prestige they have (how they are perceived by society). These two countries offer contrasting educational systems, cultural contexts, and social values, providing an intriguing framework for examining the factors that influence teachers' perceptions and the resulting implications for educational practice and policy. The choice of these countries results from Spain being the country where I live and Finland because until relatively recently it was considered the reference educational system in Europe. This work examines different aspects, such as teacher training, the conditions in which they work and the support they receive from educational institutions. Likewise, the aim is to discover which factors have the greatest impact on the construction of self-perception by teachers, and the inconsistencies that exist between self-perception and the perception that society (social prestige) has of teachers. To this end, a bibliographic review and consultation of reports and primary studies carried out by educational institutions at a national and international level have been carried out.