The craft of intervention: A personal practical theory for a teacher's within-group interactions

Abstract

There is a dearth of literature that describes the personal practical theories or professional craft knowledge of experienced elementary school teachers of science. Reports of teachers' classroom thinking and their personal practical theories might help other teachers and student teachers identify possibilities for action in their own classroom contexts. The subject of the current research was an experienced provocateur–teacher who was committed to establishing and maintaining a dynamic learning community within his classroom. His theory for science learning and teaching during teacher–student interactions was inferred from data framed from classroom observations, teacher–student discourse, and stimulated recall interviews. The teacher's instructional moves were very much interrelated with the components of his personal practical theory that were themselves underpinned by his knowledge of self, students, pedagogy, curriculum, and science. Possible extensions of this research are identified.