ABSTRACT
The following chapter details an alternative perspective of teaching – a universal perspective – discovered in 1966 by Muska Mosston. This universal theory–The Spectrum of Teaching Styles – offers a shift in thinking about the intrinsic nature and structure of teaching and learning. The Spectrum of Teaching Styles is based on the axiom teaching is a chain of decision making. This chapter will discuss how different configurations of decisions delineate individual teaching and learning options called teaching styles and how the decision relationship determines the individual contributions of a specific style to educational objectives and aims. Additionally, theoretical refinements and contributions to the larger pedagogical picture during the last 50 years will be highlighted. The Spectrum offers a unifying and universal pedagogical perspective.
