ABSTRACT
Context is an elusive but common concept. Although most people have an intuitive notion of what context is, they cannot clearly define it. They caution against taking statements out of context, assert that actions must be understood in context, and argue that context can be productively used in teaching. Context is said to have something to do with environment, something to do with conditions, something to do with the actors in a given situation. But regardless of whether context is treated as an intuitive concept or a productive construct, it has definite implications for teaching and teacher change. As Dewey (1931/1985) stated, “The most pervasive fallacy of philosophic thinking goes back to the neglect of context.”
