Challenges of the Pedagogical Work of Teachers in Correctional Institutions
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Abstract
Teachers in correctional institutions face complex challenges in the exercise of their profession. Juveniles who study in these institutions are in a particular situation: they are typically less able than their peers and have often had negative school experiences during their school years, and very often suffer from mental health problems and emotion regulation disorders. Successful educational programmes in these settings are also hampered by the characteristics of correctional institutions, where safety is paramount, which can have the effect of undermining support for educational efforts, outdated technology and a lack of educational materials for teachers. A further problem for teachers is the mental isolation due to the physical isolation of the correctional facilities and security concerns, and the lack of homogeneous groups by grade level. This complex and challenging situation is faced by teachers, who often receive little or no training before starting work. It would be worthwhile to include a specific training for prospective teachers in prisons and correctional institutions in the teacher training programme. Also mentoring could help, so that experienced mentor teachers with an understanding of the field could advice newly recruited colleagues. Because of their intellectual isolation, it would be important to connect teachers in reform schools with other teachers, so that they could exchange experiences and strategies through collaboration and networking with teachers in the public education system. In addition, team building within the institute would be important to increase collegial and professional support, as well as the continuous development of teachers’ skills through trainings.
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Bolyai Foundation
Grant numbers azonosítószám: BO/00099/24/2
References
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