The first part of this paper reviews the literature on fundamental issues that relate to the work of teachers as the national curriculum is implemented in the United Kingdom. These issues include: (1) the work day of junior and secondary school teachers; (2) the politics and sociology of teaching; (3) the work of primary school teachers; and (4)…

A study examined 140 persons from nine very diverse settings in the United States and England who had retired in a positive way. Interviews with the retirees revealed that despite their diverse geographical, socioeconomic, and racial/ethnic backgrounds, they all had one thing in common--in retirement, all of them had a new and exciting career.…

A study explored how young adults experience control and exercise personal agency (self-determination) as they pass through periods of transition in education and training, work, unemployment, and in their personal lives. Data were gathered through structured questionnaires administered to at least 100 young adults from universities and companies,…

A study of youth and the Youth Service in rural West Dorset (England) to determine what work and recreational opportunities are available, how youth view their adolescent years, and how the Youth Service is helping them adjust to adulthood, indicates that within the present system youth are afforded few considerations. Many become alienated. Many…

A survey on the perceptions about the working conditions, roles, and job satisfaction of 686 secondary school teachers working in the north of England are reported and discussed in this paper. This represents one part of a comprehensive project that explores the relationships between work experiences and teacher characteristics. Questionnaires…

A study examining the motivation of staff at British residential outdoor centers found that motivation was affected by work environment, nature of work, entry motivation, intrinsic belief, and external and internal motivators and de-motivators. The strongest motivational factor among outdoor center staff revolved around doing a good job. Increased…

This paper discusses some of the health implications of data produced in the course of a research project that explored the usefulness of the concept of "social capital" in relation to the health and well-being of children. The research used qualitative methods to explore 12-15 year olds' subjective experiences of their neighbourhoods,…

This report is based on interviews with learning supporters and observations of their work in a number of primary and secondary schools in London and in the North of England, areas which are known for efforts toward developing inclusion. The focus is on supporters' perspective, and the aim is to give a platform to what traditionally have been…

This article outlines the research design of a large-scale, longitudinal research study in England intended to describe and explore variations in teachers' work, lives and their effects on pupils' educational outcomes. The study, funded by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) and incorporated into the Teaching and Learning Research…

Recommends that the study of trade unions be included in the school curriculum. Argues that learning about relationships between unions and management through interviews, observations, and simulations can enhance the overall approach to teaching about controversial topics. Gives examples of some attempts to do this in schools. (TW)

Teacher supply and recruitment, teacher pay and working conditions, institutional structures, and policy contexts are compared for England and Scotland. In Scotland, the fundamental approach to teacher employment and retention is based on rewarding teachers and improving conditions. The exaggerated centralization of English education policy, with…

Describes the everyday working life of a lesbian teacher working in a secondary school in England. Compares her experiences and the problems she faces with those of other lesbian and gay teachers. Discusses school climate, the necessity for silence about her personal life, and school power structures. (JB)

Calls for an expansion of the objectives of vocational education to include consideration of the nature, value, and purpose of work. Finds justification for this in the changing job market and John Dewey's original conception of vocational education. Suggests that some form of this approach become part of all students' curriculum. (MJP)

This article offers three interrelated arguments for the adoption of a cultural approach to the study of learning. It then presents some early analyses of data from a case study of one learning site, concerned with the assessment of learning in the workplace. These analyses show how the shape of the learning site--for example, the nature of…

Recent employment law reforms in England precipitated a telephone survey of a stratified random sample of 5,120 employed people (1,000 respondents) that was intended to find their levels of awareness and knowledge of employment rights and their exercise of those rights. Survey results included the following: (1) nearly 70% of those questioned…