ABSTRACT
In the preceding chapters, we have presented a model of teacher development based on social, personal and professional development. However, given that teacher development does not occur in a vacuum, we outline briefly in this chapter some of the wider social, economic, political and historical contexts for teacher development in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. These two countries have been chosen because we as authors are most familiar with them and because in both, recent social, economic and political changes have made marked changes in education and the work of teachers. We invite readers to compare these contexts with that in their own country. In describing the contexts in which teacher development is occurring in our countries, we essentially outline some major contemporary ways of viewing social and personal life and consider their implications for the nature and conduct of teaching and teacher development.
