Emma Towers, Sharon Gewirtz, Meg Maguire, Eszter Neumann: A profession in crisis? Teachers' responses to England's high-stakes accountability reforms in secondary education.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0742051X22001524

Abstract

There has been a tendency to construct the teaching profession through a narrative of ‘crisis’ which places particular emphasis on high rates of attrition and poor wellbeing driven by a demanding work culture. Drawing on qualitative data from a mixed-methods study, this paper examines teachers' responses to reforms to English secondary education. It presents evidence that supports a ‘profession in crisis’ narrative with many of the research participants expressing negative attitudes towards the reforms and concerns about staying in teaching. However, the paper also illuminates a counter-narrative that highlights teachers' job satisfaction and their desire to remain in the profession.