Pedagogical Constructs

This book examines the impact of context on
academics pedagogical constructs. It theorizes the
relation of teachers to context by focusing on the
ways in which they conceptualise (their
understanding of what teaching and learning is
about), approach (how they perceive they go about
teaching in practice) and relate (how they
position themselves towards the context) to teaching
and learning. It identifies seven 'filters' in the
teaching and learning context, which operate at the
macro, meso and micro levels of practice to impact
on pedagogical constructs. Context is analysed using
a socio-cultural theoretical framework. The main
argument of this book, which builds on contemporary
analyses of teaching and learning, is that
approaches that account for teaching practices from
within individualistic and mainly psychologistic
frameworks tend to produce normative and de-
contextualised renderings of teaching while
approaches that concentrate on the disciplinary
structural characteristics tend to essentialize it.
This book, by bringing in the socio-cultural lens,
seeks to take account of structures without
dismissing individuals within them.

Autorentext

Joelle Fanghanel is Professor of Higher Education at Thames Valley University, London. Her research interests include socio-cultural theory, quality enhancement, change, and academic identities. She is an excecutive member of several international educational organizations, and Convenor of the London SoTL Conference.

Klappentext

This book examines the impact of context on academics' pedagogical constructs. It theorizes the relation of teachers to context by focusing on the ways in which they conceptualise (their understanding of what teaching and learning is about), approach (how they perceive they go about teaching in practice) and relate (how they position themselves towards the context) to teaching and learning. It identifies seven 'filters' in the teaching and learning context, which operate at the macro, meso and micro levels of practice to impact on pedagogical constructs. Context is analysed using a socio-cultural theoretical framework. The main argument of this book, which builds on contemporary analyses of teaching and learning, is that approaches that account for teaching practices from within individualistic and mainly psychologistic frameworks tend to produce normative and de-contextualised renderings of teaching while approaches that concentrate on the disciplinary structural characteristics tend to essentialize it. This book, by bringing in the socio-cultural lens, seeks to take account of structures without dismissing individuals within them.