Teachers' Work Intensification and Educational Contradictions in Aboriginal Communities‪.‬

THIS PAPER EXPLORES THE CHANGING OCCUPATIONAL nature of teaching in the context of initiatives to improve education for Aboriginal people. It focuses, in particular, on relationships among teachers' work intensification and educational reforms oriented to provide meaningful schooling within minority communities. The first part of the paper explores conceptual issues associated with the changing roles and experiences of teachers amidst recent educational priorities to promote economic competitiveness and social inclusion for a knowledge-based society. The second part of the paper analyzes these themes with reference to data from a study undertaken by the author of teachers' work in Aboriginal communities in two Canadian provinces. The paper highlights the role that teachers play, as they encounter potentially conflicting occupational dynamics, toward alternatively advancing or undermining educational improvement within Aboriginal communities. EDUCATIONAL REFORM AND CHANGING FORMS OF TEACHER PROFESSIONALISM