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This article reports the results from a 12-month study of teachers' career progress in schools in England and the ways in which headteachers and teachers perceive that age, disability, ethnicity and gender affect teachers' career prospects. Many teachers thought that they had been promoted because of their personal traits, such as drive, confidence and ability, and there was little evidence of direct discrimination. However, certain groups of teachers, for example part-time and supply staff, mature entrants to teaching, members of minority ethnic groups, teachers with disabilities, older male and female teachers, female teachers with children, all believed that their personal characteristics had disadvantaged their career progression. The study offers some insight into the structural constraints that hinder teachers' careers and how greater diversity among promoted staff in schools might be achieved. The implications for school leaders are highlighted. (Contains 2 figures and 2 tables.)

The research reported here was part of a large study of the impact of age, disability, race and sex on the teaching profession in England. The basic question asked in this research was how do these factors interact with career aspirations and achievements of class teachers, promoted teachers and head teachers? There were three different data sources: a large postal survey drawn from diverse geographic regions across England with over 2000 respondents; face-to-face individual interviews with over 100 teachers in 18 case study schools from across all of the main regions of England; discussions with special interest groups of teachers. Not surprisingly, the answer to the above question was complex. Nonetheless, the paper's conclusion highlights some of the noteworthy themes across this broad sample of teachers from primary, secondary and special schools.

Describes predicaments students may face if their families are temporarily homeless, which can seriously affect their health and education. A study of temporarily homeless Scottish families shows that teachers may be unaware of such situations and the ramifications for student health, school attendance, and school performance. Creative inservice education is important to help teachers and schools meet homeless students' needs. (SM)

Interviews with 27 Japanese children living in Scotland and England explored the notion of cultural dissonance in four areas: talk and silence in class, academic knowledge versus skills, achievement expectations and aspirations, and cultural identity. Current teaching practices apparently do not take cultural differences into account. (SK)

Rapid development of competency standards for management education concurrent with their implementation has left some questions unresolved: the rationale for linking occupational standards to academic awards; establishing and ensuring generally accepted standards; comparability of student experience; and policy protecting the candidate against bias. (MSE)

This article reports the results from a 12-month study of teachers' careers in schools in England and the ways in which a sample of headteachers and teachers perceive that age, disability, ethnicity, gender and, to a limited extent, sexual orientation influenced their decisions to enter teaching and their subsequent career aspirations. Respondents report a diverse range of motives for entering the profession. Overall these relate more to personal circumstances and ambition than to age, disability, ethnicity or gender, either individually or in combination. Family and friends also play an important role, as do changing national priorities. The authors suggest that typologies developed around teachers' motives for joining the profession may not be sustained at later stages of their development. This is because teachers' career choices appear to be influenced by a complex mix of factors unique to each individual. Finally, some implications for teacher recruitment in Scotland are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports the results from a 12-month study of teachers' career progress in schools in England and the ways in which headteachers and teachers perceive that age, disability, ethnicity and gender affect teachers' career prospects. Many teachers thought that they had been promoted because of their personal traits, such as drive, confidence and ability, and there was little evidence of direct discrimination. However, certain groups of teachers, for example part-time and supply staff, mature entrants to teaching, members of minority ethnic groups, teachers with disabilities, older male and female teachers, female teachers with children, all believed that their personal characteristics had disadvantaged their career progression. The study offers some insight into the structural constraints that hinder teachers' careers and how greater diversity among promoted staff in schools might be achieved. The implications for school leaders are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scotland is a small country with a dominant white majority and relatively small, varied and dispersed minority ethnic groups. This paper draws on a review of educational research relating to minority ethnic groups at all stages of education in Scotland, conducted in 1998. The review aimed to evaluate research conducted in the areas of: access to educational opportunities, learning and teaching, attainment and staff. We found that existing educational research relevant to minority groups in Scotland is scarce, fragmented and on too small a scale to contribute significantly to policy. In this paper, we put forward various arguments to explain the lack of policy and consequent practice likely to enhance the education of minority groups and draw attention to significant developments in Scotland since 1998 that are likely to affect educational research concerning minority ethnic groups. How can small countries where minority groups comprise a tiny proportion of the overall population ensure that the interests, educational needs and aspirations of these groups are addressed? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a mid-19th century print in the British Museum by the engraver James Stephenson and argues that the subject is not Sir James Willoughby Gordon as stated in the cataloging record but is Edward VII, then the Prince of Wales. The author also disputes the British Museum acquisitions record, which states that the print is after Sir James Willoughby Gordon, due to the fact that Gordon was not an artist and died before Edward VII could have posed for the print. The provenance of the print before its acquisition by the British Museum is also discussed.