Representing the practice of teachers’ pedagogical knowing

Husu, Jukka
952-5401-08-1; 1458-1094
Finnish Educational Research Association / Suomen kasvatustieteellinen seura
Research in educational sciences / Kasvatusalan tutkimuksia (9)
2002

This study treats teachers' pedagogical knowing as a broad theoretical concept and as an extended practice. Pedagogical activity is not simply what happens in schools and classrooms, it is also found inside teachers and outside schooling institutions. This type of knowing is characterized as an active process by which individuals perform their duties in situations involving intense social interactions.

The study consists of five international articles and an introductory background review. Theoretically oriented readers will benefit from its comprehensive review of a knowledge base for the teaching profession. Methodologically, three types of narrative analyses are used to explain the nature and structure of teachers' pedagogical knowing. Against the background of these analyses, five characteristics of teachers' practitioner knowledge are portrayed.