This book examines the effects of reforms in some countries' national education systems, noting that far from improving education, they have often made it more difficult for teachers to do a good job in the classroom. It focuses on how teaching has changed and continues to change in England's educational reform climate. The book argues that many reforms have created constraints and imposed excessive bureaucratic requirements that diminish both the confidence and the capacity of teachers to perform to the best of their ability. The book's chapters are: (1) "Changing Discourses for New Times"; (2) "Changing Teachers' Work: Structure, Culture and Agency"; (3) "Changing Frameworks, Changing Systems"; (4) "Changing What Teachers Teach"; (5) "Changing How Teachers Teach"; (6) "Changing Patterns of Association"; (7) "Changing Pace of Work"; (8) "Changes in Accountability"; (9) "Changes in School Organization and Management"; (10) "Changes in Teachers' Professional Development"; and (11) "Conclusions." (Contains approximately 230 references.) (SM)