Education and teaching have changed in significant ways over the last decade. Since the late 1980s the Commonwealth of Australia has encouraged the development of "multi-skilled workers"; however, Alvin Toffler (1990) points out that changes in technology would create a deskilled work force with overly specialized, noninterchangeable skills. This paper presents findings of two studies that examined the effects of recent changes in Australian education on teachers' work lives. The first study was conducted in 87 primary and secondary schools in the state education systems of Tasmania and South Australia. A total of 100 teachers participated in a combination of interviews and a survey: 27 took part in interviews and the survey, 11 were interviewed, and 62 completed only the survey. Teachers reported that the educational reforms had resulted in increased paperwork; they had difficulty in dealing with externally imposed change and many simultaneous demands from varied sources; and they experienced time constraints. The second study involved case studies of 14 government schools/colleges identified as being innovative in the areas of pedagogy, curriculum, and/or staff development. Teachers were reflective about the process; willing to take risks; saw themselves as facilitators of active learning; and used student-centered, "hands-on" approaches. The schools focused on the key curriculum areas of mathematics, science, and technology. Three tables are included. (Contains 19 references.) (LMI)