Learning to Teach in a Complex Interconnected World

Abstract

This article has 2 goals. First is the goal of revisiting articles published in Theory Into Practice (TIP) over the past 50 years to examine evolving perspectives on the topic of learning to teach as revealed in the pages of this journal. The 2nd goal is to look to the future to imagine likely new issues, directions, and changes in education related to learning to teach. A close review of the articles on learning to teach from different perspectives revealed that 4 predominant topics emerged within the domain of learning to teach; curriculum, policy directives, mentoring, and collaboration. Through brief snapshots of the perspectives represented in these 4 areas, trends in the research related to learning to teach were extracted and summarized. These snapshots provided an overview of how our field has conceptualized learning to teach within a changing social, political, and demographic context—reflecting a complex range of variables concerning the perspectives that must be considered by those who are interested in addressing the diverse challenges facing education in the area of learning to teach. This review revealed the interconnectedness among variables that affect successful outcomes in learning to teach within complex socio-political settings. To gain a further understanding of the nature of this interconnectedness, this article summarizes TIP articles in one key area that emerged across topics, linking aspects of learning to teach and showing how TIP authors illuminated and responded to the profession's challenge to prepare teachers to teach diverse students. Finally, this article considers issues, directions, and topics related to learning to teach that should be highlighted in the pages of TIP over the next 50 years to cultivate a climate that is ripe for the emerging research on this topic—a climate that is receptive to innovation, generativity, and needed changes to address persistent challenges related to the topic of learning to teach in a changing world.