Tradition, culture and identity in the reform of teachers’ work in Scotland and England: some methodological considerations

Abstract

This paper seeks to explore how we may best understand the relationship between teacher identity and national culture. Using Raymond Williams’ concept of ‘structure of feeling’ as a starting point, it is suggested that creative cultural forms of representation of teachers may complement social scientific studies to give a more complete and richer view of these matters. The paper focuses on England and Scotland, and has three substantive parts. First, consideration is given to the depictions of teachers in fictional literature from Scotland and England. Second, consideration is given to the range of methodologies that are deployed by sociologists in their consideration of teachers. Thirdly, the author draws on his own studies of teachers in both countries, to assess whether these throw any further light on questions of identity and culture. The concluding discussion argues that the complexities of the interplay between history, culture and identity are such that any single approach is unlikely to provide a broad understanding and therefore it is desirable to draw from different forms of enquiry in seeking to make sense of teacher identity in a national context.

Keywords:

• teachers
• identity
• research methods

Notes

1. Thanks to my colleague Beth Dickson for drawing this book to my attention.

2. One such was the programme on ‘impossible’ children, ‘The Unteachables’, that was shown on British network TV in 2006. However, such programmes do have a strong influence on the ways in which teachers are seen by the wider population – they do indeed thereby inform the dynamic structure of feeling within which teachers live and work.

3. Most of these examples are drawn from within the UK; plenty of examples of both fictional and autobiographical accounts can be located elsewhere.

4. However, I would see journalistic and somewhat sensationalist autobiographical accounts such as those by Tony Blair’s former speechwriter, Peter Hyman (2005) as being more akin to the reality TV shows referred to in point 2 above.

5. A similar approach is taken in the volume edited by Alexander, Osborn and Phillips (2000).

6. All of these studies have been carried out with teams; I gratefully acknowledge the collaborations with the following colleagues: Yolande Muschamp, Peter Nicholls, Jenny Ozga, Andrew Pollard, Merryn Hutchings, Alistair Ross, Pat Mahony, Ian Hextall, Chris Holligan, Maggie Walker, Uvanney Maylor, Sarah Smart, Heather Mendick, Kathy James, Vivian Mthenjwa, David Deakins, Keith Glancey, Janette Wyper, Liz Seagraves, Margery McMahon, Alistair McPhee, Christine Forde, Fiona Patrick, John Hall, Alison Devlin, Ian Smith and the late Estelle Brisard.

7. In Scotland, there is a series of standards: Initial Teacher Education, Full Registration, Chartered Teacher, Headship.

8. Scottish Educational Research Association.