What we should do vs what we do: teachers’ professional identity in a context of managerial reform

Abstract

Against a background of public management reform strengthening managerialism, this study examines the professional identity of secondary school teachers in the Netherlands. It uses the Good Work framework of excellence, ethics and engagement to explore what teachers think they should do – self-image – versus what they do – role. It finds that managerial reforms in secondary education enhance a discrepancy between these two sides of teachers’ identity. The study discovers three strategies teachers employ to navigate the emerging tensions. These findings contribute to our understanding of how public management reform plays out in both teachers’ beliefs and practices.