Teachers’ Knowledge of Students: a significant domain of practical knowledge?

Abstract

Few studies have investigated that part of teachers’ practical knowledge referred to as ‘knowledge of students’. Yet, anecdotal evidence suggests that such knowledge may be a vital ingredient in teaching effectiveness. The purpose of this small‐scale, experimental study was to document what five highly effective primary teachers knew about the students they taught, how they acquired such knowledge and the ways in which they used such knowledge during classroom instruction. The methodology involved a series of in‐depth interviews with each Uacher. Analysis of interview transcripts showed that teachers held extensive knowledge about the class, groups within it and at least certain individual students. Such knowledge had been carefully constructed, was instructionally relevant and had been subjected to validity checks by the teachers. Moreover, it could be seen in each case to be an integral part of teachers’ notions about effective teaching. It thus allowed them to give expression to their conceptions of effective teaching through tactics tailored to suit the needs of individual students, groups and the class as a whole. The results appeared to lend weight to the claim that knowledge of students is a significant domain of teachers’ practical knowledge.