Is teaching a discipline? Implications for teaching and teacher education

Abstract

The background to this paper is based on the ongoing need to place more attention on the importance of teaching. The aim in so doing is to lead to a better valuing of teaching which, in the case of this paper, is through an exploration of the notion of teaching as a discipline. There are differing views about that which constitutes a discipline and considering teaching as a discipline is a provocative way of focusing on the complex nature of that work in order to make clear that teaching is much more than ‘simply doing.’ Through a review of the diversity of views of disciplines – and education as a discipline – as described in the literature the paper considers the consequences of conceptualizing teaching as a discipline which are significant not only for teaching itself but also for teacher education. The paper concludes that if teaching is to be considered a discipline, then teacher education itself needs to be understood and practiced as a much more scholarly activity. This paper works through some of the arguments that arise as a consequence of thinking about teaching as a discipline and challenges the teaching and teacher education communities to conceptualize their work in ways that will engender a great sense of valuing of that work.

Keywords:

• teaching
• pedagogy
• teacher education
• discipline of teaching

Notes

1. Fred Lighthall (personal communication, June 24, 2008) reminded me of this point in outlining some issues he considered important about the notion of Discipline in relation to education and teaching.

2. Kelchtermans (personal communication, June 17, 2008) offers a further explanation about the European traditions noting that there is one major difficulty in disentangling the discipline issue in English, namely the fact that in Europe, in different languages two different words refer to two different domains in education, where in English there is only the word ‘education.’ ‘Opvoeding’ or ‘Educatie’ (Erziehung/éducation/educacion) means the complex relationship of an ‘adult’ or ‘educated person’ supporting/guiding … a child/youngster to develop as a unique human being. ‘Onderwijs’ (Unterricht/Formation/Formacion) is what happens in schools, the teaching and learning interactions. Of course, ‘onderwijs’ in schools also plays a part in the ‘opvoeding’ (‘pedagogisch’ is the adjective that goes with opvoeding and is different and broader than the English ‘pedagogy’). … This distinction makes it difficult in English to ‘name’ things.

3. ‘Teaching is worthy of serious study in its own right. However, I am reluctant to think of something that is fundamentally a practical activity as a discipline [and] “Discipline” carries so much surplus meaning it’s often difficult to say just what it means’ (Fenstermacher, personal communication, July 6, 2008).