Abstract

While the 50th anniversary of the first Italian study on teachers is occurring, this contribute reviews the existing research on this cardinal topic from its very beginning until present days. Past studies will be presented according to a thematic scheme and not via the usual temporal sequence. The reason for this choice is the heterogeneous nature of the literature under scrutiny. Four main themes are chosen for this purpose: structural characteristics (gender, social class of the family, age), training, motivation to teach and the so called 'crisis' of teaching. This contribution concludes placing the Italian research activity in the broader international context.