CCF20110611071

Michaei Waliace distinguishes between three modeis of teacher education: the craft modę!, the applied science model and the reflective model.

The craft model:

the master practitioner demonstrates to the student teacher how things should be done. Gives due va!ue to the experiential aspect of professional development, but is essentially statio & imitative. It doesn’t handle satisfactorily the crucial element of the explosive growth of relevant scientific knowledge in recent times.

The applied science model:

This model has led to a split between research & professional practice. This caused problems of status which are particularly severe in teaching. There has also been a tendency to downgrade the values of the classroom teacher’s expertise derived from experience, what’s morę this model hasn’t so far been to able to deliver : a “scientific” solution to very comp!ex professional dilemmas.

The reflectiye model :

Is a model that is a compromise solution which gives due weight both to experience and to the scientific basis of the profession. Trainees combine received knowledge with their own experiential knowledge of the classroom.

Reflective cycle

One of the strengths of the craft model is that it gave a elear recognition to experiential knowledge. The idea of teaching as a “craft” learnt by trainees is conservative. No changes or a little changes.

Of course, there is a purpose for the observation of experienced teachers. In the ref!ective model it is connected morę to the reflection than imitation. The reflection has to be carefully structured to let the trainee benefit from the observation. The reflective model sees the observation as a kind of way to get experience of, and to reflect on.

The professional education sheuid include two kinds of knowledge development:

1.    RECEIYED KNOWLEDGE - The trainee knows the vocabulary of the subject and the matching concepts, research findings, theories and skills which are needed to share the knowledge properly. A skilled Ig teacher should know the target Ig on a high level, speak fluently, organize varied modes of interaction, know grammar rules, phonetic transcription and so on.

2.    EXPERIENTAL KNOWLEDGE - Knowledge-in-action. It’s received during practicing the profession, reflecting on it. It is also developed by observation of practice.

We ofter. want to know how to use one partlcular technigue, but it is probably not possible to do it. We have plenty of possibilities and options available at every step of teaching. We have to be flexible and use as many variables as possible.

Some aspects of professional teaching have to be acquired, but we learn mostly from reflection.