Identity is a contemporary buzzword in education, referencing the individual and social, personal political, self other. Following Maggie MacLure, we can think of identity terms teachers ‘arguing for themselves’, or giving an account themselves. Yet wake poststructuralism's radical de‐centering subject its highlighting number impediments to agency, might well ask how are give themselves? This paper offers reading that recognizes paradoxical aspects, yet also contains scope ethical agency....

This study provides a critical exploration of the way teachers' attachment to notions professionalism may facilitate process whereby teachers find themselves obliged enact centralised and local education policies that they do not believe in but are required implement. The argues involves an entanglement (past) occupational (present) organisational discourses remainders former enactment latter. draws on Berlant's notion cruel optimism help understand this process, assist them undermining very...

Medical Education 2012: 46 : 887–893 Objectives In this qualitative study we examine how teachers’ egalitarian or discriminatory behaviours and values at odds with those of the individual learner institution are perceived absorbed by students, hidden curriculum shapes doctors students become. Methods During 2011, a total 120 randomly selected medical from each class three Canadian schools were electronically asked for examples words, attitudes that discriminated against promoted equality...

Despite its ideological saturation, recent neo-liberal education policy has been deeply depoliticising in the sense of reducing properly political concerns to matters technical efficiency. This depoliticisation is reflected hegemony a managerial discourse and decontestation terms like 'quality' 'effectiveness', as well apparent consensus around necessity particular practices, such adoption 'standards' implementation high-stakes testing regimes. The reduction not only anti-political but also...

This paper offers a critical analysis of the education policy move towards teacher professional standards. Drawing on Lacan's three registers psyche (real, imaginary and symbolic), argues that moves codification (and domestication) teachers' work identities in standardized sanitized) forms, such as Australian Institute for Teaching School Leadership standards recently adopted Australia, can be read colonization Real by (a rather static, mortified form of) symbolic. The response to...

This paper provides a critical analysis of the Australian government's education revolution policy as promulgated in media release document, Quality Education: The Case for an Education Revolution our Schools. It seeks to problematize claim marry quality and equity, via discursive strategies talk. My draws on work political theorists Jason Glynos David Howarth their synthesis key ideas from Laclau Mouffe's discourse theory Lacanian psychoanalytic into framework explanatory 'logics.'...

Quality and equity are touchstones of education policy in the twenty-first century a range global contexts. On surface, this seems fitting: after all, who could object to more quality greater education? Yet what do we mean by equity, how they related? This paper draws on Lacanian psychoanalytic theory argue that not only far complex than formulations typically imply, but also despite their elevated place debates remain elusive, serving as sublime objects function sites for investment desire,...

In an anxious world increasingly perceived in terms of risk management, strategies for mapping, articulating and organizing knowledge provide a bulwark against uncertainty. For teacher education, one consequence has been drive fullness relation to about what teachers should know be able do, usually conceived instrumental terms. Indeed, like education more broadly, captured by ‘discursive duopoly’ instrumentalism, involving the pervasive view that main purpose is serve needs economy,...

This paper focuses on Stephen Ball's article, The teacher's soul and the terrors of performativity , since it is here that he analyses issue how neoliberal education policies shape teacher identities I also wish to explore. begin by providing a summary 2003 piece, noting locates teachers their work in midst policy, politics, passion contrast dominant techno-rational discourses teaching – embodied, for example, professional 'standards' or 'competencies' reduce matters technical efficiency. As...

This article reports on how teacher educators from a university, acting as facilitators, supported teachers in conducting school-based action research project practice of professional development the context reform language assessment Hong Kong. In particular, problematises facilitators and negotiated managed identities whilst being engaged collaborative project. Data were collected semi-structured interviews. Critical discourse analysis was used to examine textual data. A key finding that...

This paper draws on a case study conducted in Chinese university the context of national College English reform. The aim is to investigate policy enactment latest reform China and interaction between policies, institutional policy, teacher agency responding this educational from an activity theory perspective. analysis examines tensions contradictions within macro initiation level, implementation teacher's classroom as well examining power distribution these three systems. Data were...