The new generation of teachers in France Views on professionalism in a changing policy context Agnes van Zanten Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris Views on professionalism in a changing policy context Agnes van Zanten Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris

Changes in teachers’ profiles  Similar,SES but stronger tendency to auto- reproduction and to choice of upper-middle- class partners  Higher university degrees but only slightly more pedagogical training  Small but growing number of teachers having worked elsewhere before choosing teaching  Similar,SES but stronger tendency to auto- reproduction and to choice of upper-middle- class partners  Higher university degrees but only slightly more pedagogical training  Small but growing number of teachers having worked elsewhere before choosing teaching

Changes in the educational system  « Massification » of secondary education  Growing importance of academic, social and ethnic segregation between and within secondary schools  Lack of coherent educational policies and new discourse on « meritocratic positive discrimination »  « Massification » of secondary education  Growing importance of academic, social and ethnic segregation between and within secondary schools  Lack of coherent educational policies and new discourse on « meritocratic positive discrimination »

Qualitative impact of generational renewal  On classrooms  On schools  On the teaching profession  On teachers’ participation in policy enactment and policy making  On classrooms  On schools  On the teaching profession  On teachers’ participation in policy enactment and policy making

New teachers in the classroom  Discovering adolescents  Discovering poverty and ethnicity  Discovering discipline problems  Discovering learning problems  Discovering adolescents  Discovering poverty and ethnicity  Discovering discipline problems  Discovering learning problems

New teachers in the classroom  The humanitarian temptation  The procedural temptation  The adaptive temptation  The segregative temptation  The humanitarian temptation  The procedural temptation  The adaptive temptation  The segregative temptation

New teachers in schools  A segmented collegiality  A complex division of labour  A lack of management and support  A segmented collegiality  A complex division of labour  A lack of management and support

A teaching profession ?  The wish for diversified careers  Teaching viewed as a variety of crafts and occupations  A distrust of hegemonic forms of representation  The wish for diversified careers  Teaching viewed as a variety of crafts and occupations  A distrust of hegemonic forms of representation

No need for policy ?  Lack of faith in the comprehensive school model  Lack of belief in big reforms  General perception of a hypocritical system of decision-making and administration  Lack of faith in the comprehensive school model  Lack of belief in big reforms  General perception of a hypocritical system of decision-making and administration

Will they change the educational system ?  Difficult to isolate generation differences from differences depending on position in the life cycle and in the professional career  School dynamics do not only depend on teachers but on parents, pupils, head teachers…  The scope and nature of changes will vary according to responses and directions from policy-makers and administrators  Difficult to isolate generation differences from differences depending on position in the life cycle and in the professional career  School dynamics do not only depend on teachers but on parents, pupils, head teachers…  The scope and nature of changes will vary according to responses and directions from policy-makers and administrators