Teacher Learning: Implications of New Views of Cognition

Abstract

Current educational reform efforts in the United States are setting forth ambitious goals for schools, teachers, and students (e.g.. National Council of Teach ers of Mathematics, 1989; National Education Goals Panel, 1991; National Research Council, 1993). Schools and teachers are to help students develop rich understandings of important content, think critically, construct and solve problems, synthesize information, invent, create, express themselves proficiently, and leave school prepared to be responsible citizens and lifelong learners. Re formers hold forth visions of teaching and learning in which teachers and stu dent engage in rich discourse about important ideas and participate in problem solving activities grounded in meaningful contexts (e.g., American Association for the Advancement of Science, 1989; National Council of Teachers of Math ematics, 1989, 1991). These visions of teaching and learning depart significant ly from much of the educational practice that currently typifies American classrooms — practice that is based on views of teaching as presenting and ex plaining content and learning as the rehearsal and retention of presented infor mation and skills.