Towards Expert Thinking : How Case-Writing Contributes to the Development of Theory-Based Professional Knowledge in Student-Teachers / Karen Hammerness, Linda Darling-Hammond and Lee Shulman.

This paper explores what, and how, student teachers may learn about theory and practice from writing cases, examining some of the features of the pedagogy that may contribute to these results. The paper draws upon data collected from a quarter-long teacher education course, "Principles of Learning for Teaching," that is offered in the Stanford Teacher Education Program. In this course, writing a case is designed to promote the application of learning theory to practical experiences in the classroom and serves as the central, culminating product of the class. The first section of the paper describes the design of the course, focusing upon how designers wove key concepts of the course along with work on cases throughout the quarter. The next section discusses what students learned from writing cases by examining data collected (e.g., students' cases, students' final self-assessment essays, interviews with instructors, and interviews with students). It also addresses the kinds of supports (e.g., instructor feedback, peer conferencing, and course design) that may have helped students in further developing and deepening the analytic and theoretical understandings in their cases. The last section addresses how to design and teach the class differently, noting implications for teacher education. (Contains 20 references.)(SM)

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