Trends in Research on Teaching and Learning in Schools: Didactics Meets Classroom Studies

Abstract

The relation between teaching, instruction and children's learning arises whenever models of the teaching—learning process are discussed or whenever problems of learning occur. Despite massive research efforts we still know little about how differences in learning activities are related to students' learning. The primacy of teachers and teaching as the primary subjects of research has contributed to a rather limited understanding of what goes on in schools and classrooms. Few studies of teachers and teaching have examined the extent to which differences in teacher effectiveness are related to differences in teachers' subject matter knowledge, and there is still a tendency to discuss issues of teaching and learning in general terms separated from the content that has been taught. In this article the author argues for the need to bridge studies of teaching and learning with studies of the subject involved — to establish a conversation between didactics and classroom studies. An analytical design and framework able to bridge the teaching—learning gap needs to be developed. Emerging technologies in video/audio documentation provide one chain of investigations for bridging how different thematic patterns are linked to instructional activities and interaction formats in classrooms.