Volunteers in the Field: Teaching

Abstract

Volunteers teaching abroad have had to cope with various problems, such as maintaining discipline, adjusting to strange syllabi, confronting rote methods of learning, and de fining appropriate participation in their communities. These difficulties, and others, have resulted not only from Volunteers' lack of teaching experience, but also because of an absence of consensus on the part of Peace Corps, host-country nationals, and Volunteers regarding the Volunteer teacher's role. In particular, differing expectations of the teacher's community role are examined and placed within a framework of socio- economic development. The quality of Volunteer teaching is assessed, as well as the extent to which teachers are meeting genuine needs for their services in host countries.