AARE Special Interest Groups

Teachers' Work and Lives

Statement of Purpose:

To provide a forum for research on the working lives and cultures of teachers.

The SIG aims to:

• foster and promote theoretical and empirical research into teachers' work and lives;
• develop networks of researchers in the area of teachers' work and lives;
• establish a forum within AARE for symposia addressing questions concerned with teachers' work and lives.

Who are we?

The AARE Teachers' Work and Lives SIG is a group of academics, teachers, and others who are interested in how teachers' work and lives are organised and negotiated. We use theoretical frameworks drawn from psychology, sociology, philosophy and cultural studies, to better understand why people are drawn to teaching as a career, the experiences of beginning teachers, teachers' career professional development, the intersection between teachers' work and lives, changes across the teaching career lifespan, and issues associated with retention in the profession. We focus mostly on the work of teachers in the K-12 education systems, but welcome examination of the work and the working lives of teachers in the higher education sector.

Proposed Activities:

• AGM at each annual AARE conference
• Program of individual papers and symposia each annual AARE conference
• SIG keynote speakers at each annual conference
• Cross-listing of papers and symposia with related SIGs

Please contact the convenor to join the SIG

Convenor:
Dr Paul Richardson,
Faculty of Education
Monash University
Clayton 3800
Victoria, Australia
Phone: +61 3 990 52771
Fax: +61 3 990 52779
email: paul.richardson@education.monash.edu.au