The Status of Teachers and the Teaching Profession in England

This research brief presents the main findings of the Teacher Status Project, a national four year study of public and individual teachers’ perceptions of the status of teachers and teaching, carried out at the Cambridge University Faculty of Education, and funded by the Department for Education and Skills. It includes the perspectives of people who come into close contact with teachers, including governors, parents and teaching assistants, as well as a study of media coverage of teachers and education, conducted by the University of Leicester, Department of Media and Communications. The research study took place between 2002 and 2006. Base-line findings of respondents’ perceptions of teacher status in 2003 were presented in Hargreaves et al. (2006). The present summary includes key findings followed by the aims of the research, methods used, further findings and conclusions.