The book analyzes worldwide changes in school organization and the teaching profession, and how the profession has been impacted by education policies that promote assessments and accountability. It also identifies some shifts in professional positions, statuses and profiles, and characterizes the impact and contextualization of professional standards that shape teaching practices and the management of schools. Further, the book provides relevant comparative and empirical data on the restructuring of the teaching profession in an era of globalization through a critical perspective on and an overview of the main research and comparative findings across countries. As such, the book is not only directed to educational researchers but will also interest professionals and policymakers, addressing a broader education and policy community concerned by the new aspects shaping the teaching profession in the 21st century.

Explores the intersection of two central issues in American education today: school reform through restructuring and alienation from school of many children of color. A tough look at the impact of teachers' and administrators' beliefs and practices.

Restructuring in the Classroom goes into the classrooms of three elementary schools to take a detailed look at how teachers responded to changes in structure in their schools. The authors interviewed principals, teachers, parents, support staff, and district personnel to produce in-depth case studies of schools at various stages of restructuring, showing what the school had done to change its structure and how those changes had occurred. Selecting four teachers in each school for closer observation and discussion, the authors reveal how those teachers responded to the changes around them in their day-to-day practice in the classroom. They show, for example, how teaching practice is or is not affected by changes in the way students are grouped for learning, in the way teachers relate to groups of students and to each other, and in the way time is allocated to subject matter.

The editors of this volume aim to help educators make better decisions about their efforts at restructuring by showing what has and has not worked in some of the most widely known experiments. Because the programmes examined have been in place for several years, the cases offer richness of detail and a wealth of ideas. This book's insights and practical detail will benefit educators both in schools and at district level, as well as students and academics in the field.

This book vividly portrays the experiences of five secondary teachers who were involved in a school restructuring initiative that focused on interdisciplinary curriculum development, team teaching, and block scheduling. Though much has been written during the past decade concerning the need for fundamental restructuring of American schools, the track record in accomplishing change is extremely weak. One reason for this is the lack of understanding of what change means from the point of view of teachers, who are both the objects and subjects of change efforts. The year the authors spent with the teachers resulted in a deeper understanding of the phenomenology of change experiences that can be used to develop more fruitful, empowering, and teacher sensitive strategies. The story of the change experience is presented through five interlocking and mutually reinforcing themes that dominated the teachers' experience and understanding: uncertainty; intensification; lack of administrative leadership; subject allegiance versus team loyalty; and craft pride, caring, and moral purpose.

The contributors and editors draw on insights of both practitioner researchers and academics. Individual chapters examine the challenges and nature of professional development by exploring specific contexts, such as those involving school/university partnerships, secondary/higher education collaborations, and inner-city settings. Contributors include Edwin Bridges, Marilyn Cochran-Smith, Myrna D. Cohen, Linda Darling-Hammond, Pamela Grossman, Philip Hallinger, Charles Taylor Kerchner, Ann Lieberman, Susan L. Lytle, Lynne Miller, and Margaret Szabo.

Focuses on the ongoing negotiations of professional autonomy and managerial discretion and provides insight into the broad restructuring of faculty, with conclusions that extend beyond unionized faculty to all of academe.