Teaching as a Profession in Albania

Abstract

This paper aims to analyse teaching as a profession in Albania. Also, the paper aims to answer two research questions: 1. Is the teaching profession gender based in Albania? 2. What are some of the common features in patterns of students attending a study program in teaching in preschool? The first findings show that it is very difficult to state that teaching profession has achieved the full status of a regulated one, at least in practice, in Albania. Second, based on data collecting through a questionnaire, with a sample of 21 teacher-students attending a preschool teaching program study, 9 (42.9%) of them declare that this program study is a second one, listing as reason of choosing the actual status of employing - this training is a condition to change the status, from assistant teacher to teacher; the others evaluate the short time of entering in the labour market and the no need for a licence; also, the average age of entering the labour market is 31.1 years old (the students were between 21-54 years old). Third, the teaching profession in Albania remains dominated by women. Data from four Albanian universities, across 14 study programs that graduate teachers, indicate that only 37 students are male; also, findings reveals a pattern in the teaching workforce: it is gender-based, not a priority in student’s decision making after the graduation from upper secondary school, average age of entering the profession is relatively high.

Received: 2 June 2024 / Accepted: 25 July 2024 / Published: 29 July 2024