The International Schools Review Forum

Hi all,

I'm trying to get an idea about how relevant a Master's degrees are at IS - both for teachers and (aspiring) admins. Which doors does a Master's degree open or which does the absence of one keep closed?

Also what makes more sense or is better regarded, a Master's degree in the content area or in an education related degree (e.g. educational leadership) - again both for teachers and (aspiring) admins?

I would be grateful to hear your opinions and/or experience!

This thread has some good info;
http://internationalschoolsreview.com/v ... sc&start=0

In my opinion it seems almost necessary to get one if you plan to make a career on the international school circuit. From my experience the majority of international school teachers have a masters, quite different from a public school back home where only a handful might have one.

If you have job hunted before, you've probably seen the international school websites where they say "x% of our teachers hold advanced degrees". So lets say you are competing with someone at a job fair for a position at a school like this. You both have similar amounts of experience, but they have a masters and you don't. Who is the school going to hire?

WHen schools announce that the majority of their teachers have Masters degrees, they are doing so to impress parents/customers, not other teachers.

Also, the majority of that majority will be North American teachers. Generally UK teachers don't bother with Masters, at least not in the first stages of a career. The process of teacher training/qualification/hiring does not really give room for doing a Masters.

In any case, classroom experience and 'ability to teach' is considered more important than theory.

[quote="buffalofan"]In my opinion it seems almost necessary to get one if you plan to make a career on the international school circuit. From my experience the majority of international school teachers have a masters, quite different from a public school back home where only a handful might have one.

If you have job hunted before, you've probably seen the international school websites where they say "x% of our teachers hold advanced degrees". So lets say you are competing with someone at a job fair for a position at a school like this. You both have similar amounts of experience, but they have a masters and you don't. Who is the school going to hire?[/quote]

Absolute nonsense! I am completely with Mick Travis on this. I am sick of hearing teachers say they are going to do their Masters or Phd in education, when their students are for ever complaining that they are not learning anything and that they can't teach!

How about spending time learning about AFL, cooperative learning, active learning etc and become a better teacher through practice. It's much cheaper and your students (and their parents) will respect you more.

Like Mick Travis said, the majority of teachers with Masters are North American teachers. One of the main reasons for this is for when they return to America, as certain state boards require it.

As for a career in IS Education, my advice would be to get as much IB experience as you can get (PYP, MYP or DP - whatever is relevant), get used to the latest technology (tablets, interactive whiteboards, blogs, make a subject website etc), extra curricular activities such as MUN and the International Award, evidence of teaching practices (not "lecturing", but teaching), evidence of professional development, and how you have contributed to curriculum planning. Nail all of those and you will be very employable. Good luck.

Not going to say much about it myself, but I found this article to be an interesting read on the subject.

http://www.independent.co.uk/student/po ... 63540.html

I think that jackyboy13's final paragraph is pretty good advice. Although, I'd get the Master's as well.

[quote="Mick Travis"]Also, the majority of that majority will be North American teachers. Generally UK teachers don't bother with Masters, at least not in the first stages of a career. The process of teacher training/qualification/hiring does not really give room for doing a Masters. [/quote]

No, but those wishing to move up the ladder tend to already have a masters, or get one in the process of doing so. Masters are overrated, but if they are taken by a good teacher it will help them improve. It will likewise make an idiot a prize idiot rather than just an average one.

Many thanks for all responses!

Is there any distinction made between a Master's in the content area and an education related Master's?

Also, somewhere I read that a Master's will put one higher on the pay scale of many schools. Could maybe someone elaborate on that?

Purely from a financial perspective, a Master's makes sense. Most good schools pay a stipend of around $2000/year for those with an MA or MEd. Over a career, that would be upwards of $60 000, even factoring in the cost of the course.

Also, I believe it looks better on a CV than without one. As a bonus, I even heard some people learnt something from them.

Most international schools have a salary grid which they will either share privately or publicly.

The grid covers teaching staff: Unqualified; Qualified by degree, Education degree and certification, Master's Degree, and Phd - all grids won't be exactly alike, but most will have the BEd, Masters and Phd levels. Each higher level makes more than the level below it. For example, I have a masters and in my current position I make about 800 dollars more a month than those who do not have a masters. That's almost 10,000 a year, so it definitely pays to have the masters. In my current post, a Phd holder starts at over 1000 dollars a month more than me, but I haven't decided whether to pursue a Phd, although it is tempting, even though I am moving on.

Other schools are not as generous - it might only be 100 or 200 dollars a month more for a masters. I have even heard of some schools where there is no difference. Go figure.

Panta - as to distinction in what the masters is in - content area or M.Ed/MA, that is up to the school in question.

$800 a month? You are very lucky, but I don't think this is typical. I think the real value of an MA/M.Ed is when you are looking to move up the ladder to better international schools. Got to stand out somehow and the masters is one way to do it.

Thanks for the responses!

I'm wondering why do schools value PhD's? Is it just to show off to parents or is there any rational behind it?

Buffalofan - even the last school I was at, the difference was about 500 a month. But the higher tiers tend to pay more of a differential, or else offer subsidised master's programs on site...

Panta, having a Phd gives you a lot more insight into the fundamentals of education and causes you to look at things in a different way. I know that even doing my masters changed many of my paradigms and got me thinking differently about a wide range of school related things.