Images of Teaching and Proposals for Reform: A Comparison of Ideas from Cognitive and Organizational Research

Abstract

Organizational analysis and studies of teacher thinking both contribute to discussion about how to professionalize teaching, but these two bodies of research have not been well synchronized. Teacher-thinking research examines teachers' thought processes and makes recommendations for training. Organizational analysis emphasizes the importance of teacher commitment and the redesign of existing schools to increase teacher collegiality and participation. This article juxtaposes these two literatures to clarify and suggest ways to combine divergent images of the good teacher. It also suggests that recommendations for reform are incomplete and argues that these ideas need to be put into a wider frameworke.