This volume is a collection of studies examining the key role of the teacher in the process of school change when innovative pedagogical practices and better ways to develop the school are being sought. Teachers’ work in a changing school culture is a central source of strength in establishing the new practices in ordinary school life. Teachers are generally understood to be crucial for successful change in the school, for the long-term development of their professionalism, and for the advancement of the school’s socio-cultural processes.

The aim of this book is to outline the complex character of teachers’ work in schools and their communities. Teachers’ work is observed here in the light of research presenting innovative approaches and reforms. This book is divided into three parts. The first part focuses on contexts for transformation in teachers’ work, the second on an examination of case studies documenting the changing nature of teachers’ work, and the third on comparison of the trends and issues previously presented. The chapters in this volume discuss prospects of teachers’ work in the United States and Europe, as well as in China, India, and Japan.

Cover photographs by Raimo Nevalainen