ABSTRACT
If some of the stories emanating from the field are to be believed, teaching is presently a beleaguered occupation, particularly in schools serving areas of cumulative social and economic disadvantage. Many teachers working in such settings are reported to have low morale, coupled, in some cases, with feelings of professional inadequacy. Indeed, a recent study conducted by a group of economists at the University of Warwick UK (Gardner and Oswald, 1999) suggests that teachers in England are less content at work than any other professional group.
