ABSTRACT
A widely accepted explanation of the practice of teaching is that it requires an understanding of specific cases and unique situations. According to such a view, this practical know-how is mostly built up by teachers in the field as they cope with the daily challenges of teaching and as they attempt to develop their professional practice. It is derived largely from their own experiences and interpretations and it is mainly formulated in concrete and context-related terms. In the field of teacher knowledge it has been referred to as craft knowledge (Leinhart, 1990; Grimmet and MacKinnon, 1992), practical knowledge (Elbaz, 1983; Johnson, 1984), personal practical knowledge (Clandinin, 1985) and as the professional knowledge landscape (Clandinin and Connelly, 1995). Practical knowledge emphasizes its experiential origins (Handal and Lauvas, 1987) and implicit nature (Wagner and Sternberg, 1985; Clark and Peterson, 1986; Freeman, 1991) and it tends to build up in teachers’ minds. This stance considers a teacher’s knowledge not as a property of formal propositions but instead as a property of a mind constantly relating to action.
