The relationship between teacher appraisal and educational research in the United Kingdom is illustrated by the personal and professional experiences of an educator. An autobiographical analysis of this relationship, in light of M. Foucault's analysis of the relationship between power and knowledge, is presented. A clear relationship between teacher training and application of that training in the classroom is lacking. A similar lack of relevance characterizes school curricula in relation to student experience. Avoiding an over-disciplinary stance by the teacher, and preventing a loss of teacher authority over students are best achieved by action-research based curriculum development. Participation in the approach developed by L. Stenhouse, through the Schools Council/Nuffield Humanities Project (SCNHP), increased the level of action-research based development. The position of teacher appraisal within these systems is as part of a much broader strategy for transforming power relations in the educational system. In the SCNHP, the transition was made from developing school curriculum to developing teacher curriculum, and from a first-order action research to a second-order action research. The current situation, based on an agreement between the government, employers, and teachers' associations, is critiqued. (TJH)