Discusses the influence of culture and family and the importance of self-esteem in the development of competency in young children. Describes the role of the teacher in creating a developmentally appropriate environment that fosters self-initiated learning and a personal locus of control. (SH)

A philosophical orientation to teacher education would be a critical orientation, laying stress on the clarification of terminology, on the understanding of the logic of subject matter, and on a consideration of "what the known demands," or action deemed necessary from content knowledge. Fragmentation would be overcome, and a synthesis would be…