ABSTRACT
Teaching is not perhaps a very philosophically interesting concept, but it is obviously central to the educational enterprise and there are some interesting questions to be raised about the empirical research that is conducted into and around it. When I say ‘not philosophically interesting’ I mean that it is not an idea that perplexes one, leaves one boggle-eyed or bewildered, or that stands in obvious need of delicate and intricate teasing out. To be sure, one can observe that it is a polymorphous term, and that the verb ‘to teach’ takes two accusatives (so that one teaches somebody something, and the old adage ‘I teach children not subjects’ is rather robbed of its force). One can question whether it is an achievement word such as ‘find’ (which logically implies success or achievement) or a task word such as ‘search’ (which implies nothing about success or failure) –the issue being whether one can legitimately be said to be teaching provided that one is engaged in certain tasks regardless of the result, or whether one can only be said to be teaching if something is achieved. More generally there are questions to be asked about the logical connections between teaching and learning. But one surely does not lie awake at night despairing of getting an adequately clear idea of teaching, as one might in respect of love, justice, happiness, or indeed education. We know well enough what teaching is.
