The working and career lives of teachers have changed radically over the
last two decades. Reforms have turned education into a commodity and
pupils into 'consumers'. Yet not since 1992 has there been a
comprehensive overview of research findings on teachers' working lives.
This anthology plugs the gap by collecting various scholarly
contributions and perspectives on teachers' career trajectories and work
lives.
The material includes an introduction to previous research within the
field, presents a range of contemporary research and offers suggestions
as to what lies ahead. Among the contributors are leading educational
academics who describe a variety of national contexts, illustrating how
problems and challenges relating to the teaching profession manifest
themselves and are tackled in different countries.
The anthology also shows just how many aspects of teachers' career
trajectories and work lives transcend national boundaries. Common
international themes include stronger ties between education and the
economy, and a growing importance placed on how students' skills relate
to the perceived needs of the labour market. There is also a greater
degree of political interference in curriculum goals and processes, and
an expanding obsession with evaluation.
In many countries, a whole generation of teachers are reaching
retirement age, 'changing the guard' with a crop of new young recruits
who are ever harder to attract. At a time when there is an increasing
focus on issues such as teacher recruitment, retention and professional
development, this anthology offers insight and inspiration to teacher
educators and educational policy makers as well as to current and
prospective teachers. It also aims at encouraging research into the
field of teachers' working lives.
