ABSTRACT
Professional development assumes the increased professionalization of teachers. However, although this may be in the interests of the members of a profession, it is legitimate to question whether it is in the interests of clients. Critics of professionalization argue that the alleged need for professional practice to be based on a body of systematic theoretical knowledge is greatly exaggerated, since most of the time, practice is conducted according to intuition, experience and common-sense knowledge. This view is supported by recent developments in the sociology of knowledge as well as by research on how teachers see their task. However, although there is no clear evidence that theoretical knowledge influences practice, neither is there convincing evidence that it could not do so. There is therefore a case for continuing the professional development of teachers but in contexts in which the teacher’s own epistemological assumptions are taken seriously by researchers and theory builders. Such contexts would include, for example, programmes of participatory research and school-focused in-service training.
