The Impact of Government Reform on the Conceptualisations of Professionalism in Compulsory Education in England; Considering the National Standards of Excellence for Headteachers and the Teachers' Standards Through the Lens of Critical Discourse Analysis

Abstract

In recent years government reform has focused on the expectations of practice for professionals in the education sector. In the last three years alone, revised standards have been published for Headteachers and Teachers. But what model of professionalism do these standards seek to promote?

The focus of the work which follows is concerned with analysing the language used within such policies in order to evaluate whether conceptualisations of professionalism are altered over time, by charting the development of policy from 2004 to 2015 for the Headteachers’ standards and from 2007 to 2012 for the Teachers’ standards.

In exploring the language of the standards, the author will also consider the nature of professionalism and discuss whether any conceptualisation can ever be articulated which can produce certainty and consensus of understanding.