ABSTRACT
Changing demands upon schools and teachers made by government policy interventions, conditions of service, parents and students continue to challenge ‘normative’ views of what ‘being a professional’ means in practice. Good teachers will be technically competent and reflect upon broader issues of purpose, process, content and outcome. It is when technical competence ceases to involve reflection that the quality of teaching is likely to suffer. Nurturing teachers’ strong sense of positive stable professional identity, commitment, resilience, moral/ethical purposes, and willingness and ability to teach to their best and well is equally important. Evans’ connection between ‘attitudinal’ and ‘functional’ is important. In schools as person and task-centred learning communities, professional learning and development are likely to focus upon both the functional and attitudinal needs of individuals, with the former always having the latter at the centre of the planning, processes and evaluation.
