research and teaching
Hello everyone,
I understand that research is important, and that it's good for teachers to try to keep up to date with the latest research, but sometimes when I'm doing the reading for some classes I feel like teachers are being belittled (just a little bit), though it could just be me being hyper-sensitive. Couldn't teachers figure out some of these research findings themselves based on simple classroom observations, and no classroom will ever be the same. The text also mentions how publishers will publish texts thatl reflect what is currently popular and sellable, so couldn't research be manipulated so that it reflects what is popular and profitable?
I'm not saying that teachers shouldn't pay attention any of the latest findings researchers has to offer, but maybe teachers should get a little bit more credit?
I understand that research is important, and that it's good for teachers to try to keep up to date with the latest research, but sometimes when I'm doing the reading for some classes I feel like teachers are being belittled (just a little bit), though it could just be me being hyper-sensitive. Couldn't teachers figure out some of these research findings themselves based on simple classroom observations, and no classroom will ever be the same. The text also mentions how publishers will publish texts thatl reflect what is currently popular and sellable, so couldn't research be manipulated so that it reflects what is popular and profitable?
I'm not saying that teachers shouldn't pay attention any of the latest findings researchers has to offer, but maybe teachers should get a little bit more credit?
posted by Sheena at 8:46 PM
1 Comments:
couldn't agree with you more, Sheena
there is a traditional distrust of academics by practitioners (for good reason given some of the history); research money (whether to support textbook production or otherwise) often comes from questionable sources; and not just private industry; government agencies have their own agendas, after all
in addition, it seems to me that some researchers act like frustrated middle managers who blame teachers for not adopting their brilliant insights wholesale; as a theorist, one gets pretty attached to one’s ideas; part of the contradictory class position of academics, I guess; even Friere was not immune to the temptations of power
curriculum control has been a huge issue in education; should experts control things? Or practitioners? I think that are some great academics who take the side of teachers (Michael Apple and Andy Hargreaves come to mind), but not enough
Doug
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