This article is about changes in teaching and learning. It is argued that a pluralist approach, stressing differences in qualities and problems is favourable. The paper is based on a research project regarding changing conditions for teachers and professional identity in the Danish upper-secondary school. Both theoretical and empirical points from the research project concerning teaching and learning in an area of reform are presented. The main purpose is to develop reflections on various approaches to method and learning styles in relationship to teacher and student roles.

The Danish upper secondary school system is undergoing remarkable changes these years. The teacher's role and fundamental structures of the organization changes, as comprehensive reforms put new structures into the single school. The reform build new frames of teaching into the everyday life of the teachers and questions arise: What happens when teachers are to implement such thorough reforms, when schools are left with a great many decisions to make and a new working culture to build?In a four-year research project, the authors of this paper and two colleagues investigate these questions in a sociological, didactical and organizational perspective, using quantitative as well as qualitative methods. Our aim is to contribute with theoretical and empirical considerations focusing on teachers' and managers' behaviour under conditions characterized by pressure from several internal and external stakeholders. In this paper we present empirical findings leading to theoretical perspectives considering teachers' position towards central aspects of the reform and the responses that can be found among managers.

Educational research is often criticized for its lack of impact on practice and policy. In this paper, we discuss different approaches to the application of educational research and criticize some of the existing positions for missing the point, namely that the context of interaction between researchers and practitioners is closely connected to trustworthiness and dissemination of results. Particularly, we criticize the linear model and focus on the political context of educational research instead. This is exemplified and discussed by presenting a self-reflective case about comprehensive reforms in the Danish secondary school, which illustrates possible problems in research communication with teachers in an era of reform. IntroductionIn this paper, we will investigate the issue of interaction between researchers and practitioners by discussing a theory and presenting a case. The approach is based upon a reflexive consideration of our own research data and experiences. Of course, involvement in the pertinent case may create blind spots, but we have made an effort to create an analytical distance to our own subjective position by focusing on the context which we share with our critics and not on 'right' and 'wrong' in a narrowly normative sense. Input is also included from the public debate on the research into changing teacher roles -mostly from the Danish teachers' union magazine.The structure will be as follows. Firstly, we present the context and give an account of the main positions in the actual debate. The purpose is to discuss dilemmas in the interaction between researchers and users, that is, politicians and practitioners. We will establish a context for our empirical case, not carry out an exhaustive analysis and assessment of this academic and practical debate. In the following section, we describe some attempts at formalizing the dissemination of scientific knowledge and elucidate some of the barriers that may arise depending on the actual field of science. Then, we will explain various relations between researchers and potential users of research, where we will use our own research projects as a case. We will try to explain how the need for 'usable' research may create communication problems between researchers and practitioners of research outputs. Finally, some solutions concerning communication practice, relation to stakeholders and institutional ethics are discussed.

This is a Magazine Article Learning to stay in school Selection, retention and identity processes in a Danish vocational educational training programme of basic health and care

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