The Study of Teacher Thinking: Implications for Teacher Education

Abstract

Clark and Lampert describe how the research on teacher think ing has broadened and deepened the knowledge base of teach ing, particularly with respect to the complexity of teaching, our understanding of what teachers know, and our knowledge of methods of inquiry and reflection on teacher thinking. Such knowledge challenges the image of the teacher as technician and the conception of research as a source of empirically proven and generalizable prescriptions. The value of this research for teacher educators and prospective teachers is that it provides insights into the mental lives of teachers. Those insights can be used to challenge preservice teachers' thinking and to ex pand their view of the teaching act.