Studying Teachers' Lives

The use of teacher biography and teacher narrative is an increasingly substantial educational movement, yet there is a dearth of material available to guide researchers interested in using these techniques. Goodson's book aims to fill this gap, evaluating various methods and providing a contextual backdrop about teachers' case studies and biographies. The studies included employ a range of different methodologies, allowing the reader to assess their varying strengths and weaknesses, but throughout they re-affirm the centrality of the teacher in educational research. Covered are a wide range of issues from the importance of teachers' socialization to the questions of teacher drop-out. All people who are using, or are interested in using, teacher biographies as a research methodology will find practical advice in this book, which is particularly appropriate for courses in professional development and leadership, and to researchers in teacher education.