Teachers' emotions in the context of education reform: Labor process theory and social constructionism
Author(s)
Tsang, Kwok Kuen
Author(s)
Kwong, T. L.
Date Issued
2017
Publisher
Routledge
Journal
British Journal of Sociology of Education
Volume
38
Issue
6
Start page
841
End page
855
Abstract
In recent years, many teachers suffered different kinds of negative emotions in the context of education reforms. A typical explanation was that the education reforms disempowered teachers in teaching, so teachers were forced to do much non-instructional work. Teachers considered their work meaningless but were powerless to change it, and eventually indulged themselves in negative emotions. However, the present research suggested that this explanation had neglected teacher agency and might be incomplete. Arguing from the perspective of social constructionism, the research showed that teachers in Hong Kong experienced negative emotions in education reforms because, on top of the disempowerment, the reforms structurally displaced teachers’ educational goals with administrative goals. The goal displacement impeded teachers’ evaluation of the instructional values of their work. Thus, teachers perceived their work as inconsistent with their major purpose of teaching (i.e. making a difference) and they felt negative towards work.
SFU Affiliated Publication
Yes
Availability at SFU Library
No database links found.