Teachers matter : connecting work, lives and effectiveness / Christopher Day ... [and others].

Format:

Book

Contributor:

Day, Christopher, 1943-

Series:

Professional learning

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Teachers--England.

Teachers.

Effective teaching--England.

Effective teaching.

England.

Physical Description:

xvii, 296 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

Maidenhead : McGraw-Hill/Open University Press, 2007.

Summary:

Teachers Matter offers the most definitive portrait of teachers' lives and work to date. At a time when teaching standards are high on the political and social agenda, the quality and commitment of teaching staff is seen as paramount and they are viewed as pivotal to the economic and social well being of society. But: What are the influences that help or hinder teachers' commitment? Is there an association between commitment and pupil attainment? Why are teachers' identities important? What are teachers' needs and concerns in different professional life phases? Does school context count? Based on a DfES funded study of 300 teachers in 100 primary and secondary schools in England, the authors identify different patterns of influence and effect between groups of teachers, which provide powerful evidence of the complexities of teachers' work, lives, identity and commitment, in relation to their sense of agency, well-being, resilience and pupil attitudes and attainment. This, in turn, provides a clear message for teachers, teachers' associations, school leaders and policy makers internationally, in understanding and supporting the need to build and sustain school and classroom effectiveness.

The book addresses issues such as the importance of career development, the relationships between school leadership, culture and teachers' lives, maintaining a work-life balance, identity and well-being and the connection between commitment, resilience and effectiveness in the classroom. Original and highly relevant, Teachers Matter is invaluable reading for teachers, head teachers, researchers, teacher educators and local and national policy makers.

Contents:

1 Why teachers matter: policy agendas and social trends 1

2 Studying teachers' work and lives: research contexts 19

3 The VITAE research: a synergistic approach 38

4 The schools, their teachers and their pupils: expectations, experiences, perceptions 53

5 Teachers' professional life phases: a research informed view of career long effectiveness 66

6 Emotional contexts of teaching: agency, vulnerability and professional identities 102

7 What helps and hinders teachers' capacities to be effective 124

8 Teacher effectiveness, pupil attainment 156

9 Teachers who break the mould 179

10 Real and resilient: how teachers sustain their effectiveness 195

11 Commitment and effectiveness: contexts which make a difference to standards 215

12 Future proofing school reform and renewal: why teachers matter most 236.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780335220052

0335220053

0335220045

9780335220045

OCLC:

77795683