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Abstract
Teacher knowledge is a key to effective teaching. Understanding teacher knowledge can help educators understand teacher practices. It was the purpose of this study to examine teachers' knowledge about the use of direct, peer, and inquiry teaching models. Thirty-two teachers, representing both elementary and secondary levels, were interviewed. Data were analyzed via constant comparison and analytic induction methods. All teachers had some knowledge about the models and that knowledge was gained through a variety of sources. Key to that knowledge gain, however, was experience with the model. The decision to use a model depended on a variety of factors including control, time, and knowledge. Direct instruction was self-reported as the dominant model used at both elementary and secondary levels.
Research on effective teaching has evolved through a number of different eras of focus. Early attempts to explore effective teaching focused on teacher characteristics and processes (Connelly, Clandinin, & He, 1997). The field moved through process-process designs in the 1950's and 1960's and then into the processproduct focus of the 1960's and 1970's (Rink, 2002). The 1980's saw a rejection of the search for single variables and their influence on learning and as a consequence, new conceptual frameworks were explored to understand teaching. One of those frameworks still influencing research on teaching effectiveness is that of teacher knowledge. As Schempp (1993) suggests, understanding teaching requires an understanding of teachers' knowledge bases.
A number of frameworks have been proposed for categorizing teacher knowledge (e.g. , Carter & Doyle, 1987; Shulman, 1987). Although each system is unique, most include some version of the following knowledge domains: (a) pedagogical knowledge; (b) subject matter knowledge; and (c) pedagogical content knowledge. General pedagogical knowledge is not subject matter specific and includes "generic" teaching knowledge (e.g., management, instructional strategies) about effective teaching that might be applicable in a wide variety of educational settings. Subject matter knowledge is a teacher's knowledge of and about the content to be taught. Pedagogical content knowledge is an integration of general pedagogical and specific subject matter knowledge. Although Marks (1990) suggests a precise distinction between types of knowledge is somewhat arbitrary, the distinctions have and continue to serve as a useful research heuristic.
Regardless of the specific type of knowledge, the importance of teacher...