Reform as ongoing positioning process: the positioning of a teacher in the context of reform

Abstract

In this study, the reciprocity between educational reforms and the role of teachers is examined. A social-discursive approach to sense-making provides a theoretical framework for understanding how teachers position themselves within the context of a reform. To illustrate the utility of such an approach, the specific case of a teacher involved in reforms is presented. The results show an ongoing positioning process and this process to constitute both the input and output for the interaction between teacher and reforms. The development of sensitivity to this positioning process appears to be a necessary prerequisite for successful reforms.

Keywords:

• educational reform
• educational change
• positioning and positioning discourses
• teacher identity
• structure and agency