ABSTRACT
Education, like the society of which it is such a vital and integral part, has undergone many changes in recent years and, indeed, is continuing to change. Teachers and, more particularly, head teachers in this country still exercise considerable influence and control over education and since teachers differ considerably in their atttitudes to change, the extent to which changes have taken place and the nature of these changes vary throughout the country. Teacher control and influence over curriculum matters affect not only the rate at which any changes might take place but also largely determine the nature of the curriculum and result in tremendous variations in different schools. Teachers are not the only influence on educational change: national and local authority decisions frequently have considerable effect in bringing it about. Although decisions of this kind are often reached after consultations with teachers or with teacher participation, they affect teachers as a whole, many of whom are not directly involved in the decision-making. Other influences on change such as teachers’ centres, local advisers, HMIs, in-service courses, national figures and educational literature, usually have their effect more directly on individual teachers.
