As we begin the twenty-first century, schools and teachers are subject to enormous pressures for change. The revolution in digital technologies, the pressure to develop consistently high-performing schools systems, and the drive between excellence and equity all combine to raise profound questions about the nature of successful teaching and learning today. In his Inaugural Directorial Lecture, Professor Chris Husbands explores the extent to which teaching is changing in response to these external pressures and the implications for teachers, schools and learners. He asks what this means for research, teacher education and the nature of an ‘institute of education’.