Case studies of teacher development: an in-depth look at how thinking about pedagogy develops over time

Abstract

This book represents the results of a 15-year longitudinal study based on in-depth case studies of the development of four teachers' pedagogical thinking. These studies illustrate how teachers' thinking--about children's behavior, development, learning, and teaching--develops over time, based on their personal and professional life experiences. It is an especially significant book because understanding how pedagogical thought develops over time and how these ideas are put into action in classrooms can be used to improve teacher education, teacher induction, and teacher retention programs. Case Studies of Teacher Development: An In-Depth Look At How Thinking About Pedagogy Develops Over Time: *provides insight into reasons why some teachers remain and others leave the teaching profession; *combines narrative with scholarship; *highlights the voices of four educators through extensive quotes from their interviewers, includes vignettes of their classroom teaching, and incorporates their own writing; *contributes to the field of teacher education and teacher development because of the long duration of the four case studies (1985-2000) and the accompanying scholarly analysis of internal and external influences on their lives as teachers; and *addresses changes in the nature of qualitative research as it influenced this longitudinal study over time. At a time when teacher induction and teacher retention are critically important, this book will help teacher educators, school and district leaders, and policymakers understand better how to retain novice and experienced teachers by supporting their professional growth and development.