teacher cognition n
also teacher thinking
a field of educational research and theory which focuses on the thinking
processes, beliefs, and decision-making used by teachers at various levels
during the planning, delivery, and evaluation of teaching. Teacher behaviour
is seen as resulting from the thoughts, judgements, beliefs, and decisions
employed by teachers, and such processes need to be understood in develop-
ing approaches to teacher research. Teacher cognition plays an important
role in teacher development and hence is of interest to those concerned with
the planning of teacher development programmes and activities.
teacher development n
the professional growth a teacher achieves as a result of gaining increased
experience and knowledge and examining his or her teaching systematically.
A number of stages in teacher development are sometimes distinguished:
1 developing survival skills
2 becoming competent in the basic skills of teaching
3 expanding one’s instructional flexibility
4 acquiring instructional expertise
5 contributing to the professional growth of colleagues
6 exercising leadership and participating in decision-making.
teacher-directed instruction n
seeteacher-centred instruction
teacher education n
also teacher training
the field of study which deals with the preparation and professional
development of teachers. Within the field of teacher education, a distinction
is sometimes made between teacher trainingand teacher development.
Teacher training deals with basic teaching skills and techniques, typically
for novice teachers in a preservice educationprogramme.
These skills include such dimensions of teaching as preparing lesson plans,
classroom management, teaching the four skills (i.e. reading, writing,
listening, speaking), techniques for presenting and practising new teaching
items, correcting errors, etc.
Teacher development looks beyond initial training and deals with the
on-going professional development of teachers particularly in in service
education programmes. This includes a focus on teacher self-evaluation,
investigation of different dimensions of teaching by the teacher (see action
research), and examination of the teacher’s approach to teaching.
teacher education