Constructing a practical philosophy of teaching: A study of preservice teachers' professional perspectives

Abstract

This paper reports the findings of an ethnographic study of preservice teachers' professional perspectives. Using the principles of "ethnographic semantics" to analyze the data, th paper describes the way in which students create a practical philosophy of teaching by integrating two primary perspectives, portrays the "guiding images" that make up these perspectives, and examines the psycho-social dynamics that underlie the development of a given professional perspective. Finally, it discusses the implications of the study's findings for research on teacher socialization and for teacher education.