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A Critical Analysis of the Research on Learning to Teach: Making the Case for an Ecological Perspective on Inquiry
132
Citations
0
References
1998
Year
Pre-service Teacher EducationTeacher EducationInquiry-based LearningTeachingPedagogyLearning SciencesLesson StudyBeginning TeachersEcological PerspectiveEducationPre Service TeachersTeacher DevelopmentProfessional DevelopmentTeacher PreparationProgram ReformLearning EnvironmentCritical AnalysisTeaching Method
The review calls for researchers to adopt a more self‑critical and ecological stance when studying learning to teach. The authors systematically reviewed 93 empirical studies to map current knowledge about how people learn to teach and to critique the quality of reporting in that research. The review shows that many traditional teacher‑education programs have little impact on novice teachers’ firmly held beliefs, yet successful programs that build on pre‑service teachers’ beliefs and provide systematic, long‑term collaborative support exist, advancing the field with new research directions, though authors must improve data selection, presentation, and linkage to conclusions.
93 empirical studies on learning to teach were reviewed in order to establish what is currently known about how people learn to teach and to critique the quality of the reporting of that research. Among other observations concerning teacher education, the review highlights the tensions between the hopes and expectations of teacher educators and the expectations and experiences of beginning teachers. While this review supports the findings of others that many traditional programs of teacher education have little effect upon the firmly held beliefs of the beginning teachers, it also provides examples of successful programs. Such programs typically build upon the beliefs of pre service teachers and feature systematic and consistent long-term support in a collaborative setting. It is concluded that this body of research has advanced the field in significant ways, offering new directions for research and program reform. The critique of the papers themselves reveals that authors need to pay more careful attention to data selection and presentation and to the links made between data and conclusions. The review points to the need for a more self-critical stance on the part of researchers and a more ecological approach to research on learning to teach.