Learning to Teach: A Sociocultural-Historical Constructivist Theory of Teaching

Abstract

Most teacher preparation programs around the world have been generally based on the assumption that student teachers after having been informed about research-based theoretical structures will graduate from their institutions, enter classrooms for young children, and will simply apply these theoretical structures to practical situations. This approach is less supported now, and there is more research to support the fact that teacher effectiveness depends not only on cognitive outcomes but also on students’ moral and social well-being, as well as on the establishment of positive relationships with colleagues and parents (Campbell, Kyriakides, Mujis, & Robinson, 2003). But there is still a marked absence of a theory of teacher cognition and behavior in teacher education programs that formally includes such concepts as teachers’ own personal theories and practical knowledge (Korthagen and Kessels, 1999). Further, although there has been increasing recognition for the importance of good interpersonal skills and social knowledge as a mark of effective teaching, the systematic development of such socialization and interpersonal skills and strategies is relatively absent from teacher education curriculum, and how teachers react to different social situations in the context of their teaching is usually dependent on their own personalities, background, and experiences (Mills, 2003; Stronge, 2002).