Teachers are the most important school based factor for students’ learning outcomes (Santoro, Reid, Mayer & Singh, 2012). Teachers are also central to school improvement efforts (OECD, 2005). Teachers’ options to work in accordance with their professional ideals are of significant importance to their health and wellbeing (Hultell, 2011).

In this project Swedish teacher teams reflected over their work during a three-year period. Time shortage caused by technical problems, staff-shortage and extensive administrative workload hampered their opportunities to do a good job, causing stress, guilt and dissatisfaction. The group process was appreciated since it allowed the in depth exploration of aspects of the teachers’ work and professional role.

This indicates that constructivist projects where teachers can share meanings of the concepts “good” teaching and being a “good” or a “good enough” teacher can help them balancing diverging concepts such as “effective knowledge delivery” and “relations and care for pupils ”.