Example teacher training dissertation topic 2:

An analysis of the ongoing appropriateness of the national pay scale within teaching.

Given the present financial climate within the UK, there have been calls from within government for the present national pay scale in teaching to be replaced by local agreements in which teachers would be paid different rates within the country according to the prevailing economic costs of the area in which they seek to teach. At present, only those working within either Inner London or Outer London are paid an additional allowance to the agreed rates for state-employed teachers nationwide. This dissertation evaluates not only the political ideological reasons behind the suggested change but also seeks to establish its merits and demerits amongst those who have recently joined or are seeking to join the profession. Accordingly, existing data is, within this study, supplemented by primary data collection (150 interviews) and analysis amongst trainee teachers and those in their first three years of teaching with especial reference to Norfolk, Cambridgeshire, and Inner London.

Suggested initial topic reading:

• Brown, A. (2005). ‘Implementing performance management in England’s primary schools’, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. 54(5/6), pp. 468-481.
• Kingdon, G., Aslam, M., Rawal, S. and Das, S. (2012). Are contract and para-teachers a cost effective intervention to address teacher shortages and improve learning outcomes? London: Institute of Education, University of London.
• Lundström, U. (2012). ‘Teachers’ perceptions of individual performance-related pay in practice: A picture of a counterproductive pay system’, Educational Management Administration Leadership, Vol. 40(3), pp. 376-391.