The indispensable role of the goal construct in understanding and improving teaching practice

Abstract

Teacher research tends to focus on either teacher cognition or actions, or both. However, an understanding of cognition or behaviour that does not take multiple goals into account is incomplete. We integrate insights from self-regulation research in a goal system model and a methodology for eliciting teachers’ goal systems representations (GSRs). GSRs are personal constructs that show how people connect hierarchies of goals to actions in pursuit of tasks. The insight that multiple goals mediate the influence of cognition and context also has consequences for developing support for teacher learning. To illustrate the use of GSRs, we use the case of a biology student teacher who taught practicals in a cookbook manner and was supported to redesign her cookbook practical into a more open scientific inquiry practical. The case illustrates how GSRs can be used to understand a teacher’s practice and to develop support that bridges for the teacher the gap between current and target practices. Such support shows the teacher how they can adapt their practice to make it more in line with the target practice, and how this contributes to attaining their goals better. Additionally, we describe practical variants of the bridging approach for groups of (student) teachers.