Advanced Skills Teachers: Progress and Problems in Their Establishment in Australia Available to Purchase

Reviews the literature pertaining to the implementation of the advanced skills teacher (AST) category. Presents initial data from a current research programme which is investigating the introduction of the AST category into the education systems of Victoria and South Australia. Research involves a study of the implementation of the AST category in two primary schools, interviews with senior administrators and perusal of memoranda and other documents relating to AST introduction. Discusses perceptions of teachers on work and skills with reference to whether the teacher′s skill is an art or a craft and the changing importance of skill. The current scenario evident in education is a mix of deskilling,upgrading of skills and a maintenance of the existing skills.