Date of Award

1-1-2005

Document Type

Thesis

Publisher

Edith Cowan University

Degree Name

Master of Education

Faculty

Faculty of Regional Professional Studies

Abstract

This thesis is a journey reflecting on my professional practice as a teacher. It also captures the lived experience of other teachers' stories as they were gathered from the ethnographic site; a secondary senior high school.

These collections draw out common themes, issues and dilemmas that teachers face within a dominant managerial discourse. These conversations also provide a 'voice' for those who are often controlled by their own labour into silence. "Dialogue is a moment where humans meet to reflect on their reality as they make and remake it" (Shor & Freire, 1987, p. 98).

I use the 'school effectiveness movement' as a window of investigation to study closely the impact of technical and rational thinking on the lives and work of teachers.

I provide emphasis throughout this thesis on the reclamation process of teaching, as I use my own personal biography of writing, reading, and critical investigation to challenge the disproportionate power relationships being experienced. This reclamation also highlights the moral and ethical dimensions of teachers' work. This provides a stark contrast to the 'corporate culture' continually inflicted on teachers, which denounces the presence and significance of the many sophisticated personal relationships that exist within learning communities.

It is intended that this thesis provide hope and encouragement for others interested in schools to pave their own way forward and reclaim a space of their own.

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