Everyday Enactments of Resistance : Portraits of Secondary Public School Teachers Navigating New Professionalism

Abstract

New professionalism has changed the roles and responsibilities of teachers. It has created a professional culture that prioritizes managerialism, bureaucracy, standardization and assessment, and performance review. This shift has created tension and anxiety amongst teachers, but a population of teachers continue to openly question, resist, or protest directives that do not align with their goals and values. The goal of this study was to gain understanding of the lived experiences of veteran, secondary, public school teachers who have attempted to find ways to navigate and resist new professionalism. Using Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot’s portraiture method, participants’ narratives bring life to the ways these veteran teachers have endeavored to make decisions about their profession. The insights gained from these participants’ portraits have implications for teacher education and future research on veteran teacher resistance

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