ABSTRACT
From the outset, I have taken the view that such a reconstructed vision of childcentred teaching should be grounded in the multiple realities of teachers’ intentions, their classroom actions, and the contexts of their work. While documenting these details, care has been taken to connect the voices of practitioners with commonly held beliefs about the grand narratives of teaching. There is no intention on my part to privilege the voices of practitioners over the legitimate interests of others concerned with the project of teaching and learning. Rather, understanding of practitioners’ perspectives has been sought with a view to unlocking the potential of their professional knowledge for constructing a more inclusive narrative on progressive teaching. I am conscious also that the voices of learners and parents (for example) have not been accorded the same status as teachers’ voices in this narrative, and for this reason the account is inevitably partial.
