Knowledge Base for the Beginning Teacher

In this volume, the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education offers the first in a series of state-of-the-art analyses of research, theory, and practice in the various domains of teaching. The knowledge base for teaching and teacher education takes a variety of forms and is drawn from many disciplines and other sources. This volume specifically covers generic knowledge, that is, knowledge considered by the profession as credible and generally applicable in most content areas and throughout elementary and secondary levels of teaching. More than 20 chapters are devoted to the following elements of knowledge essential for beginning teachers to practise: content of teaching, relationships between content and pedagogy, organization and management, understanding individual students, curriculum planning, context/environment for learning and teaching, and professional functions and responsibilities.

Table of Contents:
Preface, W Garden. Explanations in Education, F Murray. Structuring Knowledge for Beginning Teaching, H Barnes. The Subject Matter Knowledge of Teachers, P Grossman et al. Conceptions of Teaching and Approaches to Core Problems, C Bereiter & M Scardamalia. Principles from Sociology and Anthropology, C Cadzun et al. Classroom Organization and Management, C Evertson. Teaching Students to Assume An Active Role in Their Learning, M Wang & A Palinscar. Cognitive Characteristics of Learners, L Anderson. Knowledge of Learners - Personal and Social Development, L Nucci. Knowledge of Learners - Children at Risk, M Reynolds. Social and Political Contexts, M Greene. The School District, D McCarthy. Social Organization of Classes and Schools, S Florio-Ruane. Knowledge of Curriculum, K Zumwalt. Evaluation, J Merwin. Subject Specific Pedagogy, W McDiarmid et al. Knowledge about Reading and Writing, M Graves & G Piche. Knowledge, Representation, and Quantitative Thinking, T Post & K Cramer. Meeting the Needs of Pupils, N Sprinthall. Professional Communication and Collaboration, J Close Conoley. Legal Rights and Responsibilities of Public School Teachers, M McCarthy. The Moral Dimension of Teaching, S Strom. Continuing Professional Growth, K Zeichner. The Professional Responsible Beginning Teacher, G Griffin. Subject and author index.

Review :
The insights which are drawn together in the final chapter reflect a progressive and dynamic view of teaching and many teacher educators will find them attractive. Higher Education Research & Development. The thirty two contributors to this volume are among the most noted researchers/teacher educators in the field of education today. Each of the twenty-four essays is cogently written and informative. While many of the essays raise more questions than they answer, these are superb questions that penetrate to the very essence of teacher education. They are worthy of reflection by all those involved in and concerned about the preparation of new teachers. At the same time, the authors forthrightly note certain theoretical issues, empirical findings, and methods where the knowledge base is still relatively scant and in need of more research... The information, views, and concerns presented in this volume should have immense ramifications for the field of teacher education. At the very least, we can hope that it will encourage and prod teacher educators to thoroughly analyze their own programs, many of which will have to be radically revamped. Teachers College Record 1990