Examines the practice of teaching in light of Heidegger's work, "Being and Time." After discussing the main themes (particularly that the fundamental way of being is not cognitive), it examines implications for such issues as the place of theory and reflection in education, considering generalized approaches to professional work and…

Discusses how the pedagogical task of teaching involves cultivating pathic dimensions of the epistemology of teaching practice. Teacher knowledge is pathic in that teaching depends on the teacher's presence, relational perspectives, tact for knowing how to act in contingent situations, thoughtful routines and practices, and other aspects of…

Examines three models of teacher education and teaching (developmental, reflective, and de/reconstructive), highlighting alternatives for viewing the world of teaching, arguing that the three models constitute two frames for practicing and critiquing teaching (personalism and postpersonalism), and outlining a shift from personalism to…

Contrasts interpretive and cognitive approaches to explaining teachers' thoughts and actions, exploring epistemological and ontological assumptions that underlie research on teaching. Cognition is discussed as individual mental processing versus a social event in which thinking is shared, intersubjective, and practical. The influence of the place…

Presents a positive review of the book, "Making Sense of Teaching," which examines the perspectives of practitioners and answers the question of how teachers construe and evaluate their own teaching, how they make judgments, and why they choose to act in particular ways in specific circumstances to achieve their successes. (SM)

Research on teacher thinking often isolates teachers from their social and historical context. The paper discusses teacher thinking and action based on concepts of practical reason and logic. It examines ways to connect teacher thinking with the context of the thinking and notes the connection between action and context. (SM)

Swedish study followed students from childhood to adulthood, examining the importance of schooling experiences for socialization into the teaching profession. Of 671 students, 34 became teachers. During elementary school, future teachers were well-adjusted overachievers. As adults, their perspectives of schooling were similar to those predominant…

Reviews "Re-making Teaching: Ideology Policy and Practice" (Smyth and Shacklock), which focuses on the relationship between social ideologies, policies, and the work of teachers, highlighting timely issues concerning worldwide educational reform movements and the ensuing changes in teachers' roles. Suggests that the book has a gloomy outlook that…

Examined future teachers', current teachers', and teacher educators' attitudes regarding various suggestions for improving the professional status of teaching. All groups rated extrinsic and intrinsic rewards for teaching the most important. They considered raising the standards of preservice programs and teacher certification important and…

Teacher trainees' responses to open-ended questions about career choice were used to determine their motives for selecting a career in teaching in Brunei Darussalam. The results indicated that extrinsic motives were the main determinants for trainees to choose teaching, and altruistic and intrinsic reasons were less prominent. (SM)

Research on teachers' work should be systematically included in teacher education curricula. Findings from international literature on teachers' work emphasize: characteristics of teachers' work, working conditions, and teaching as coping and adapting. New teachers need an active role in their own socialization. Teacher educators should include…

Examines how the word "professionalization" is used within the social and political contexts in which teaching occurs, both historically and in current debates over educational reform. Argues that professionalization itself has no intrinsic meaning but is defined by the social, political, and economic relationships of a given society.…

Using a variant of the life-history method, researchers examined employment patterns and career motives of 40 prospective late-entry teachers. Interviews indicated that subjects were drawn primarily by teaching's intrinsic rewards. Socioeconomic concerns and self-fulfillment accounted for most of the decisions to leave previous occupations. (SM)

Reviews contemporary international attrition research in order to examine: the definition of teacher attrition; patterns of attrition; influences upon attrition; the impact of attrition; and strategies used to decrease attrition. The paper concludes that research on teacher attrition requires the development of more comprehensive databases on…

Discusses Australian student teachers' perspectives on the value of teaching portfolios, examining how their understanding of portfolios evolved over time. Surveys indicated that it was not until students linked the notion of presenting their views on their learning to a prospective employer that they gained more understanding of the task. (SM)