The concept of bricolage, as it is developed by Ltvi-Straws, is useful in characterizing the form of teachers' work. It subsumes extensive research concerning teachers' work and provides a heuristic device for developing causal explanations of teachers' work. This article begins with an account of bricolage on the technical plane and bricolage on the plane of speculation. The latter is distinguished from abstract science. Those features of teachers' work that should be seen as bricolage are discussed. These include conservatism, limited creativity, repertoire enlargement, teachers' use of theory, the use of devious means, and ad hocism. Some causal explanations of these features are then suggested. These include anticipatory socialization, preservice experiences reinforcing anticipatory socialization, failures and omissions in teacher education programs, and constraints in the work situation. The article concludes with an account of how the concept of bricolage functions to refine causal explanations of the form of teachers' work. BRICOLAGE, TEACHERS' WORK An adequate understanding of teachers' work requires a characterization of the form of teachers' work and it requires a causal explanation of that form. An accurate characterization of the form of teachers' work is likely to provide clues as to its causes. I argue here that the concept of bricolage, as it is developed by Levi-Strauss (1974), provides an illuminating characterization of the form of teachers' work. The concept subsumes extensive research results and provides a heuristic device that might be used in refining causal explanations of teachers' work. Moreover, seeing teachers' work as bricolage better enables us to see why teachers' work is too frequently pedagogically inadequate. The Concept of BricolageLevi-Strauss distinguishes between bricolage on the technical plane and bricolage on the plane of speculation. Bricolage on the technical plane concerns material manipulations or applications. Bricolage on the plane of speculation concerns general ideas or theory. The two kinds of bricolage are formally or structurally similar.

The degradation of land formerly reclaimed after surface‐coal‐mining (opencast) is a widespread problem in upland Wales (UK). This community‐based project aims to support the voluntary sector in land reclamation by investigating the means of reversing land degradation. It explores ways of encouraging trees to ameliorate the severely compacted, infertile, mine‐soils typical of former opencast sites. This study evaluates the benefits of a single initial application of 2‐year slow release fertilizer (SRF), both with and without additional supplements, through a 10‐year controlled experiment in a mixed planting of common Alder (Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn), Oak (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Quercus robur L. and hybrids) supplemented with Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris, L.); Silver Birch (Betula pendula, Roth); Goat Willow (Salix caprea, L.) and Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia, L.). After 10 years, SRF treatment resulted in a small, marginally significant, decrease in survival (85% vs. 83%) across all species, except Oak, but SRF‐treated trees were significantly larger than those given no‐SRF at planting (421 cm vs. 368 cm). By contrast, in Year 5 data, only SRF‐treated Alders are marginally significantly larger, whereas in Years 1–3 across all six species, significantly more records show greater mean growth in trees with no‐SRF than those given SRF at planting. Probably, this delayed response to SRF treatment resulted from the slow development of the larger soil ecosystem. Treatment with additional supplements (double SRF, remineralization agent and superphosphate) tended to have negative impacts on growth but double SRF and to a lesser degree remineralization had a positive effect on survival.

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Connell et al. (1982) distinguish between ruling class schools which are articulated with their clients through a market and working class schools which are articulated with their clients through a bureaucracy. These distinct kinds of articulations between schools and clients feature in a subsequent explanation of inequitable distributions of educational benefits which explanation suggests certain equalitarian policies. However, the explanatory model is too simple. There is a significant third category of articulation which this paper identifies and describes. Indeed, this third category is the means by which government schools are co-opted by the professional classes and transformed into the functional equivalent of almost totally subsidised private schools. This paper provides a case study of an instance of this third kind of articulation and exposes the various and subtle processes in which the articulation consists. It is also argued that the existence of this third category of articulation in government schools positively harms pupils in government schools articulated bureaucratically.