Unpacking expert teachers’ theory construction experiences: a case study

ABSTRACT

This case study uses qualitative data generated over three years to explore how a Chinese expert teacher constructs her personal practical theory (PPT) about teaching. The data analysis showed that the teacher successfully constructed a personally relevant, institutionally expected, and socio-culturally embedded PPT that manifested her teaching beliefs. The teacher constructed the PPT through five essential and interrelated steps: (a) identifying effective teaching practice; (b) crystalising a core concept from effective teaching; (c) proposing theoretical tenets around the core concept; (d) configuring the theoretical tenets into a preliminary PPT; (e) refining the PPT in relevant communities. The theory construction experience deepened the teacher’s understanding of teaching and enhanced her confidence in engaging with educational theories and university-based scholars. However, the teacher’s lack of knowledge about educational theories and hands-on tools for theory construction posed significant challenges to the teacher. This study generates new empirical evidence and conceptual insights into teacher theory construction, enriching international discussions on the theory-practice gap in education. The research findings also suggest practical implications for frontline teachers, facilitating their engagement with theories to close the theory-practice divide in their situated contexts.

KEYWORDS:

• Expert teacher
• educational theory
• personal practical theory
• theory construction

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Ethics statement

To ensure that this study was conducted ethically, we followed protocols and procedures widely accepted and used in international educational research communities. These included obtaining the participant’s informed consent, protecting the participant’s privacy by anonymising personally and institutionally identifiable information, and being supervised by a research administration committee of the second/corresponding author’s institution.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the International Joint Research Project of Huiyan International College, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University [Grant number: ICER201901]; and a Major Project of Key Research Institutes of Humanities and Social Sciences under the Ministry of Education (MOE), China [Grant number: 19JJD880001].