Day uses a range of international research and development work and discusses how personal and professional contexts inhibit improvement in teaching. He considers the role of school leadership, inservice, appraisal and partnerships. He strongly argues that the evaluation of one's own practice is extremely difficult to achieve on one's own. This requires groups of teachers working together, though even then the group may be too self-confirming and reluctant to challenge assumptions. He suggests the need for wider networks and partnerships with other schools or universities.
Day argues that as with children, the key to successful learning is motivation.
This cannot be achieved by means of tight centralised control. He proposes three valuable investment strategies which, if followed, are likely to produce dividends. Developing Teachers is highly recommended for principals who are thinking about staff development. It is a must read for every government official who thinks of running staff development workshops.