Changing the context of teachers’ work and professional development: A European perspective

Recent changes in the regulation of education systems in Europe and beyond have led to greater control over the work of teachers and the performance of schools. The paper draws upon the findings of a programme of funded comparative research, which has examined the impact of national education policy...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of educational research 2006, Vol.45 (4), p.242-253
Main Author: Osborn, Marilyn
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Accountability
Comparative Analysis
Denmark
Educational Change
Educational Policy
Elementary School Teachers
England
Europe
Foreign Countries
France
Professional Development
Public Policy
Secondary School Teachers
Teacher Attitudes
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Summary:Recent changes in the regulation of education systems in Europe and beyond have led to greater control over the work of teachers and the performance of schools. The paper draws upon the findings of a programme of funded comparative research, which has examined the impact of national education policy and policy change on teachers’ work and professional development in several European countries, England, France and Denmark. Within the English context, particularly, both primary and secondary teachers expressed common concerns centered on what was perceived as the demand for a ‘delivery of performance’. Many teachers considered that the more affective concerns of teaching – the sense of vocation and investment of self- were being undermined by the pressure for performance, to become “expert technicians” in transmitting externally pre-defined knowledge and skills to their pupils. Such changes have had a profound effect on the way in which teachers’ work and role are defined by government policy directives more widely within the European context. The paper considers the implications of these changed accountability structures for teachers’ professional identity and development.
ISSN:0883-0355
1873-538X
DOI:10.1016/j.ijer.2007.02.008