Teachers Aren't Tools: A Collective, Narrative Investigation of Dehumanization of Teachers at Work

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 2:30 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Challenges With Teacher Demoralization and Experiences With Bias (Table 25)

Abstract

Teachers are dehumanized by the ways in which their physical and emotional needs are unmet at work. The purpose of the study was to identify specific ways that teachers' needs are not met at work, using a Collective Memory Work (CMW) study, and further analysis with Narrative Inquiry (NI). The analysis in this paper draws most on Marx's (1844) theory of the four alienations, a concept of dehumanization articulated by Mikkola (2016), and the theoretical/methodological framework of CMW (Haug, et al., 1987) to elaborate about the dehumanization and alienation of teachers at work. As a result of this research, I encourage researchers to consider teacher dehumanization, especially in putting forth suggestions related to curriculum and pedagogy.

Author

• Jessie N. Smorodin Sarber, University of Minnesota