Abstract
Current educational research often incorporates an unconscious cultural or national bias that starts from the questions which are asked and concludes with the implications which are drawn. We describe a three-month in situ study of ethos in Irish National Primary Schools and attempt to identify how US and Irish professional teaching practices reflect the political and educational ethoi (customs) of their respective homes. In this paper, we focus on what is revealed about teacher practices and professional life: teacher views of school choice, the teachers’ role in the operation of schools, the national curriculum, and student assessment.

Key words author
School choice, teaching profession, educational reform.

Key words plus
School choice, educational reform, student teaching

Transference to practice
It is said that fish are the last to perceive the water which forms the universe in which they swim. In the same sense, a simple recitation of professional teaching practices fails both those who engage in these practices and those who establish policy unless the practices are connected to their environment. This study demonstrates the kind of thinking which is useful both for policymakers contemplating educational reform and practitioners who seek greater insight into what motivates them and their colleagues. A simple conceptual extrapolation of the findings of this study can be applicable to scholars from any country.