Abstract
Rationalistic, technical curriculum planning has been the dominant model underpinning student teachers' lesson‐planning for a generation or more in England and Wales. In recent years, this process has become embedded in documents that direct initial training. The paper argues that this model leads to a limited view of teaching and learning as well as a restricted approach to learning to teach. Building on recent developments in socio‐cultural theory, an alternative, dialogical model of lesson planning is offered which not only emphasizes context‐dependency but also sees planning itself as a practice. This process is the key to developing reflective engagement across the different phases of the professional learning cycle
Notes
1. It has been argued OBE has in fact led to a derogation of many of the fundamentals of rational planning. In particular, it has diminished the central concern for learning as well as limiting the principles and procedures that teachers might adopt to implement the aims of their teaching (Peters Citation1964). As Elliot (Citation2001) has contended, the emphasis on goals and targets for learning has led to a reverse linearity, where the curriculum tail wags the teaching dog.