Under pressure? Primary school teachers’ perceptions of their pedagogical practices

The aim of this study is to explore Dutch primary school teachers’ perceptions regarding their pedagogical practices, and, specifically, whether they consider these practices under pressure. We conducted a survey among a sample of 261 primary school teachers from 115 schools, that included open and closed questions. The analyses showed that primary school teachers’ perceptions of pressure varied: 75% of the teachers indicated that their pedagogical practices are under pressure and one-quarter of the teachers reported experiencing low or no pressure. Furthermore, the variety in experienced pressure is not influenced by teachers’ experience or educational beliefs. The data show that a lack of coherence between teachers’ personal vision and the school’s vision influences the extent to which teachers experience pressure. This study builds on theoretical research into teachers’ pedagogical practices by showing that pressure on teachers’ pedagogical practices is a general problem in primary education.