ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the positioning of classroom teachers and their teaching practice/s within a dominant policy and major report-related narrative which frames teacher work in particular performance-oriented ways. It deals with the documents to illustrate how major research reports and school education policy de-contextualizes school and teacher effects. The master narratives of education policy discourse surrounding student learning are defined in particular performance-oriented ways so that accountability and the matching of grades attained to “standards” is the objective. The policy documents chosen outline the “master narratives” of increased school autonomy, heightened accountability and the privileging of a human capital approach to, in particular, the education, preparation and professional learning of teachers. Teachers will need to assess the various strengths and weaknesses of individual students, tailor instruction to meet identified student needs and then provide the requisite level of efficient and effective delivery of instruction.
