| dc.description | The hypothesis of this dissertation, as seen through the lens of philosophy of education, is that governments' bureaucratic and administrative ideology of economic rationalism is often in direct conflict with teachers' professional ideology of liberal education and caring for students, resulting in the intensification of teachers' work in the present Nova Scotia context. A theoretical discussion of the nature and function of liberal education, the changing role of the teacher, teachers' work in relation to time and to labour-process theory---and the growing separation between teachers and bureaucrats/administrators---followed by a theoretical analysis of professionalism and intensification of teachers' work, culminate in an application of this theoretical framework to a practical Nova Scotia context. If economic rationalism---a term erroneously used to imply more efficient use of resources---appears to succeed in education, it is largely because it has been added to the professional ideology already in place. Teachers' work has thus intensified---in the sense of chronic work overload---as teachers face competing demands to be both professional teachers and efficient managers, in an era when the economy has become central to education. Hence, educational change in Nova Scotia has generated a problematic environment: teachers are time-poor, stressed, and frustrated with the drastic changes to their profession, while students are no better off. By mutually recognizing each other's problems and possibilities, however, teachers and governments could create a workable environment to enhance students' learning. | en_US |
