Teaching for Understanding

Abstract

This chapter examines current views of teaching for understanding. First we provide background information, describing the influence of both theory and research on changes in approaches that have led to the recent stress on students as active constructors of their understanding. Then we summarize and compare a variety of programs that incorporate elements of construction and review issues that merit further investigation. Finally, we consider problems entailed in dissemination, especially difficulties teachers might encounter and describe promising attempts to foster their ability to teach for understanding.