To develop a mode of educational research which speaks both of and to the teacher we require more study of the lives of teachers. This book provides a vital insight into the ways in which teachers' bakgrounds and career histories affect their teaching methods and approaches. Many issues are covered ranging from the question of teacher drop-out to the importance of teacher socialisation. The studies employ a range of different methodologies allowing the reader to assess their varying strengths and weaknesses, but throughout they reaffirm the centrality of the teacher in educational research.