Growing political, economic and social uncertainties throughout the world have prompted many governments to 'reform' their national education systems. This book looks at the effects of these reforms and finds that, far from improving education, they have often made it more difficult for teachers to do a good job in the classroom. Drawing upon her own research and other international studies, Gill Helsby argues that many reforms have created constraints and imposed excessive bureaucratic requirements which often diminish both the confidence and the capacity of teachers to perform to the best of their ability. Despite the unfavourable conditions, however, teachers remain key agents in determining the quality of education and a number of positive instances of teachers adapting and developing policy initiatives and reforms to meet student needs are highlighted. The book will be important reading for educational managers, senior teachers, teacher educators, policy makers and researchers.