Three social factors are related to the evolution of the discourse on teacher reflection: the role of educational researchers and teacher educators; the social and economic crisis and its impact on education; and the shift from behaviorism to cognitivism. By relating the discourse of teacher change through reflection to these social factors, it becomes apparent that telling teachers how and what to teach and asking them to reflect on their beliefs and practices serves the same social purpose: to produce effective teachers for effective schools for an effective society. Such requests for reflective practice become subtly regulating. Using a post-structuralist approach, four traditions of teacher reflection are defined and analyzed: an academic tradition, a social efficiency tradition, a developmentalist tradition, and a social reconstructionist tradition. A fifth tradition, the generic, advocates reflection in general, without defining the desired focus or outcome. For each of the first four traditions of teacher reflection identified, an example of staff development is described and criticized. A sample lesson and guidelines for peer coaching are appended. (Contains 51 references.) (JLS)