This dissertation describes and explores elementary teachers' perspectives on the influence of context on the quality of teachers. Utilizing a conceptual framework developed from a reading of the extant literatures and situated participation theory, this qualitative multiple case study of four nominated elementary teachers, who have switched school settings, addresses the following research questions: (1) How do these teachers' perceptions of what makes for a quality teacher change, if at all, across contexts?; (2) How do these teachers perceive the differences, if any, in their practice across contexts?; and (3) What influence does the context have on these teachers' self-identification as quality teachers, if any? Semi-structured interviews, observations of practice, and document review were utilized over 11 months to gather the data for this study. The data were analyzed in three stages--through an iterative process during the data collection period, utilizing a grounded theory approach of coding and sorting the data by emergent themes, and through use of the conceptual framework. The findings from this study suggest that these teachers see context as most influential on their practices and self-identification as quality teachers, while influencing their perceptions of what makes for a quality teacher less so. Three contextual factors--trust (relational trust, autonomy, and voice), vision (mission, philosophy of education, outcomes valued for students), and resources (administration, colleagues, and materials/time/space)--emerged from the data as particularly influential on these teachers' perspectives. In addition, these teachers identified classroom management, caring, and pedagogical knowledge as most influential on their quality as teachers in their respective contexts, and their demographics and certification as least influential. Emergent from these findings are implications for the practice of administrators, teacher educators, and classroom teachers; for policies aimed at moving quality teachers to low-performing schools with the intent of raising student achievement; and for research on teacher quality. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]