Promotion to middle management: some practitioners’ perceptions

Abstract

This paper reports findings from a small-scale pilot study undertaken at the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) exploring teacher perspectives on the advantages and disadvantages of seeking promotion to middle management posts and the factors that would encourage or discourage teachers from seeking promotion. A series of interviews was undertaken in six schools across two local education authorities. Data revealed a group of teachers who were highly committed to teaching and working with pupils and were only interested in promotion, in so far as it enhanced their professional practice, and neither removed them from the classroom nor interfered with the quality of their family life.

Keywords:

• middle management
• career development