Re‐defining careers in education

Purpose – To introduce the concept of diverse career cultures in the education system and to consider how these impact on individual career investment and attempts to modernise the teaching profession internationally. Design/methodology/approach – A life history approach was used to determine the career environment of teachers, setting career theories and career policy against the lived experiences of a group of educationalists. The interaction of the structural, cultural and individual dimensions of career has been analysed using grounded theory to determine the emerging cultural themes. Findings – Two distinct career cultures have emerged over time influencing how teachers perceive their work. Each career culture determines the career investment pattern of individuals regardless of the structural career promoted. For most teachers, a secure career culture is the dominant influence on career decision‐making despite the existence of a subordinate investment culture, more common to careers outside the education field. Research limitations/implications – The concept of career culture should be explored with larger groups of teachers internationally and compared against other major occupational groups. Practical implications – An investment career culture should be encouraged by re‐defining the modern career, the motivations of its members and the career sites open to them to promote diverse models of career investment. Originality/value – This paper challenges the assumptions in current education policy that current structural changes will modernise the teaching career by looking at the subjective dimension of careers with potential recruits, existing educationalists and policy‐makers.