This examines each national curriculum subject in terms of culture and ideology and hence discusses the promotion of equality and equal opportunities in each. They challenge this and have brought together writers who 'critically examine the infusion of postmodernism and theories of postmodernity into educational theory, policy and research'. X The author describes how a group of teachers took a reflective approach to their own and each others' professional development in relation to problematic aspects of teaching and learning science. Looking across the six studies, the book offers a way of understanding professional development which emphasises the importance of personal qualities, professional contexts and the need for teachers to control their own development. It offers insights into ways in which the complexities of classroom life can be transcended by teachers, showing how they could play a pivotal role in the improvement of school education.
Ovens elaborates on the concept of being professional.
He says it 'is an approach which could be defined as a responsibility for the search for improvement within one's own teaching, and a commitment to the collaborative search for improvement within the school.