Teachers’ perceptions of their professionalism in government primary schools in Karachi, Pakistan

This paper examines teachers’ perceptions of their professionalism under conditions of educational reforms in government primary schools in Karachi, Pakistan. Conceiving teacher professionalism in terms of four dimensions (teacher efficacy, teacher practice, teacher leadership and teacher collaboration) it reports a quantitative survey research study of teachers in these schools, where educational reforms have been initiated. One conclusion from the study is that such teachers do perceive themselves as professionals—a finding that is counter to the often-held beliefs about these teachers. The paper argues that it is important to regard teachers as professionals, capable of further enhancing their own professionalism, for improvement in the quality of teaching and learning in the government primary schools in Karachi.