An Introduction to Teaching: Psychological Perspectives

An Introduction to Teaching is intended for students on pre-service and in-service courses who are training to be classroom teachers. It aims to inform teachers' decision making, planning, reflection and evaluation from a psychological perspective. It starts from the premise that an understanding of psychology can offer many benefits to teachers, and that teachers and psychologists have hugely overlapping interests in learning, communication, intellectual growth and human relations. Too many textbooks present psychological theory in abstract terms and do not successfully relate to the actual practice of teachers. Throughout, An Introduction to Teaching explicitly brings this psychological research to bear on the range of practical problems routinely met by teachers in the classroom. It offers psychological perspectives to teachers in a critical and practical framework: critical in the sense that limitations and controversies are exposed as well as strengths and ramifications: practical in the sense that psychological perspectives are used to help learner teachers understand their situation and their options in promoting children's learning. Each contributor is an expert in their field and each defines the main pedagogic issues in the light of most recent research and thinking.

Table of Contents:
Introduction. Part I: Basic Processes: 1. What is Involved in Learning: Geoffrey Brown (University of East Anglia). 2. What is to be Learned: Clive Carre (University of Exeter). 3. Development and Learning: Richard Fox (University of Exeter). Part II: Contexts for Learning: 4. Learning in Classrooms: Anne Cockburn (University of East Anglia). 5. Learning Out of School: Charles Desforges (University of Exeter). Part III: Teaching and Classroom Management: 6. Direct Teaching: Chris Kyriacou (University of York). 7. Teaching Through Discussion: Richard Fox (University of Exeter). 8. Managing Through Groupwork: Neville Bennett (University of Exeter). 9. Organising Experience: Sarah Tann (Oxford Brookes University). 10. Teaching for Order and Control: Charles Desforges (University of Exeter). 11. Teaching for Autonomous Learning: Susan Nolen (University of Washington). 12. Teaching for Diversity: Phil Bayliss (University of Exeter). 13. Ethic and Gender Differences: Gaby Weiner (South Bank University). 14. Personal, Social and Moral Education: John Thacker (University of Exeter). 15. Managing Time: Neville Bennett (University of Exeter). Part IV: Assessment and Evaluation: 16. Approaches to Educational Assessment: Brian Dockrell (University of Newcastle). 17. Assessment, Teaching and Learning: Brain Dockrell (University of Newcastle). 18. Evaluation, Self-Appraisal and Reflection: Gareth Harvard (University of Exeter). References. Index.

About the Author :
Charles Desforges is Professor in the School of Education and Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Exeter.

Review :
"Takes as a basic premise that a major objective of teaching is learning and that planning and preparing activities and laying good social foundations are useful but only partial supplementary aims. The psychological research mentioned is jargon free and explicitly brought to bear on the practical problems teachers meet in classrooms. Not at all glib or trivial." The Teacher Trainer "This book is a rich source of materials for those starting out in their teaching careers. It is well written and edited and comprises chapters which summarise the issues and provide sound and useful reviews of the literature." The British Psychological Society, vol.67/1 "The book is well organised and edited, with a strong sense of purpose and direction." "This book is a rich source of materials for those starting out in their teaching careers. It is well written and edited and comprises chapters which summarise the issues and provide sound and useful review of the literature. The book does indeed have a psychological research and perspectives in the development of teachers, and hence in support of children's learning." Geoff Lindsay, University of Warwick, British Journal of Educational Psychology