Whatever the exact form the restructuring of education systems takes, it means a fundamental re-definition of the work of teaching. In the restructuring process not only does the nature of work change but also school organisation and teacher culture. This study seeks to understand the teachers' experience of work in the restructured school. Restructuring is considered at three levels: 1) a cross-national and educational system macro-level; 2) a school organisation meso-level; and 3) an interpersonal and personal micro-level. The prime orientation is to explore ~he impact of a range of restructuring policies in these various sites and to describe and analyse the changes which have taken place in teachers' work. This is done through the use of qualitative data which are derived from original ethnographic research in a primary school. The aim here, using an interpretive approach, is to understand the effects of restructuring through the experiences and perspectives of the headteacher and teachers and to discover the meanings which they hold for the changes. These, it is argued, are of significance for the teachers' sense of self and their experience of roles. The social processes attending the restructuring of teachers' work are viewed through three analytical frameworks - symbolic interactionist theory, intensification theory and policy trajectory theory. The data generated facilitated the 'grounding' of the policy process and provided a test in new circumstances for the intensification thesis. The study concludes that the implementation of policy did not involve a simple linear and mechanical process. Policy was implemented according to actors' interpretations and motivations and resistance, as much as compliance, was a feature of the teachers' responses. With respect to theories of deprofessionalisation and intensification it was found that while many aspects of the teachers' work were contributing to intensification, the experience of intensified work was, in some cases, resulting in the teachers experiencing enhanced professionalism rather than becoming deprofessionalised.

This is a study of teacher professional development at the school level using teacher research as a strategy for both teacher professional learning and school change. A qualitative study was conducted to determine the conditions that would develop and sustain teachers researching their own practice in a culture of inquiry. Participant observation in one school over a two year period was used to investigate the issue of how to embed teacher research as a central feature of teachers� work. As a result of working with teachers as they researched their practice I have developed a model to explain and understand the complexities of schools and their cultures. Teachers researching their practice provided the driving force in the interplay of the elements of the model and had the potential to change school culture. Relationships, structures and processes are central to this model. Social and professional relationships between the teachers and the university partner developed and were supported by structures and processes. As the research continued these relationships changed and evolved. These relationships help develop a culture of inquiry in schools. The school/university partnership in this study evolved from an initial symbiotic�cooperative partnership (in which I shared my expertise and supported the work of teachers) into a later organic�collaborative partnership (one based on mutual and shared goals and benefits). The existing team of four teachers and the allocation of time for them to meet provided the essential structures for the teachers to research their practice. The collective leadership style instigated by the school Principal provided important human and financial support for the development of inquiry cultures. Collaboration and collegiality as forms of association enabled teachers to conduct research which challenged their individual and collective beliefs and assumptions about students� learning and their classroom practice. The content and form of teacher culture mediated the effects of teachers researching their practice. There are critical and transformational effects when teachers research their practice as part of their core work. Introducing these teachers to research was not without its difficulties. There were events and factors in the school relating to relationships, structures and processes which hindered the development of teacher research in a culture of inquiry. Because of the time frame of this study there is no evidence that school culture change is permanent. This could be the subject of future research.

This is a study of teacher professional development at the school level using teacher research as a strategy for both teacher professional learning and school change. A qualitative study was conducted to determine the conditions that would develop and sustain teachers researching their own practice in a culture of inquiry. Participant observation in one school over a two year period was used to investigate the issue of how to embed teacher research as a central feature of teachers� work. As a result of working with teachers as they researched their practice I have developed a model to explain and understand the complexities of schools and their cultures. Teachers researching their practice provided the driving force in the interplay of the elements of the model and had the potential to change school culture. Relationships, structures and processes are central to this model. Social and professional relationships between the teachers and the university partner developed and were supported by structures and processes. As the research continued these relationships changed and evolved. These relationships help develop a culture of inquiry in schools. The school/university partnership in this study evolved from an initial symbiotic�cooperative partnership (in which I shared my expertise and supported the work of teachers) into a later organic�collaborative partnership (one based on mutual and shared goals and benefits). The existing team of four teachers and the allocation of time for them to meet provided the essential structures for the teachers to research their practice. The collective leadership style instigated by the school Principal provided important human and financial support for the development of inquiry cultures. Collaboration and collegiality as forms of association enabled teachers to conduct research which challenged their individual and collective beliefs and assumptions about students� learning and their classroom practice. The content and form of teacher culture mediated the effects of teachers researching their practice. There are critical and transformational effects when teachers research their practice as part of their core work. Introducing these teachers to research was not without its difficulties. There were events and factors in the school relating to relationships, structures and processes which hindered the development of teacher research in a culture of inquiry. Because of the time frame of this study there is no evidence that school culture change is permanent. This could be the subject of future research.

Embedding environmental education within secondary science curriculum presents both philosophical and practical difficulties for teachers. This ethnographic/narrative study, with its methodology grounded in eco-feminism and realism/constructivism, examines the work of six secondary science teachers as they engage in an action research project focused on merging environmental education in their science lessons. Over the course of several months the teachers examine and discuss their views and their professional development related to the project. In the place of definitive conclusions, eight propositions relating the work of secondary science teachers to environmental education, form the basis for a discussion of the implications of the study. The implications are particularly relevant to secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, where the embedding of environmental education in science studies has been mandated.

Embedding environmental education within secondary science curriculum presents both philosophical and practical difficulties for teachers. This ethnographic/narrative study, with its methodology grounded in eco-feminism and realism/constructivism, examines the work of six secondary science teachers as they engage in an action research project focused on merging environmental education in their science lessons. Over the course of several months the teachers examine and discuss their views and their professional development related to the project. In the place of definitive conclusions, eight propositions relating the work of secondary science teachers to environmental education, form the basis for a discussion of the implications of the study. The implications are particularly relevant to secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, where the embedding of environmental education in science studies has been mandated.

The purpose of this study was to examine the manifestations of curriculum change on organizational culture of a primary school, with a specific focus on the culture of teachers. In this study, phenomenological design was used to investigate what meanings teachers attached to the changing nature and structure of their work, through the examination of the organizational culture of one primary school located in Ankara. Data were collected through face-to-face semi-structured teacher interviews aiming to find out the meaning of curriculum change and its manifestations on teacher culture for them. Findings revealed that although teachers perceived the change as a threat at the initiation process due to their experiencing lack of choice, they later expressed approval of the values and beliefs of the constructivist curriculum. However, when their meanings and perceptions regarding implementation are examined, it seems that the constraints regarding implementation are more decisive than these values and beliefs. Besides, it was found that teachers mostly defined factors outside them as constraints to their implementation of the curriculum, such as physical limitations or insufficient in-service training. Finally, findings showed that the working lives of teachers outside the classroom manifested change especially in aspects like lesson planning and preparation, and cooperation among teachers.

No Child Left Behind and Race to the Top are Federal educational policies that have evoked criticism from teachers and administrators. Both policies extended the federal government’s reach into local education by tying federal funds to a school’s student growth and teacher effectiveness. With an increasing emphasis on economic mechanisms such as choice and competition, teachers’ effectiveness is now determined by standardized and quantifiable measurements. These policies have created a data driven and high stakes accountability culture within each school. Teachers are finding themselves in a new balancing act of recording quantifiable yearly progress for all students while trying to work against environmental factors that are out of their control. The rising trend to utilize a “no zero” homework policy under these new pressures merits investigation into its role within teacher culture and these current tensions. The recent call for anthropology to re-enter the classroom as a cultural site allows the researcher to provide context to the fluid relationships that often lead to the reproduction of or resistance against dominant ideology. Using the case study method, this ethnography employs the critical theory framework to examine policy impact on teacher culture and gain an understanding for how and why trends such as the “no zero” homework become a part of school policy. By looking at a “school of choice” and a traditional “feeder middle school,” this thesis gives context to how the local trends illuminate larger cultural shifts