ABSTRACT
Yetanotherapproachtothequestionoftherelationoftheoryand practiceistousethenatureofpracticeasthestartingpointanddevelop atheorythatrecognizesthedistinctivenatureofpractice.Thereare manywaysinwhichthistaskcanbeconceived;theapproachthatIwill consideristhatrecommendedbyDonnaKerrin"TheStructureof QualityinTeaching."'Kerrisconcernedprimarilywithdevelopinga theoryofteachingthatallowsustomakejudgmentsofquality,i.e., evaluations,ofparticularteachingepisodes.Indoingthis,shedescribes whatshecallsatheoryofpractice.ItisthisaspectofherworkthatI willdiscuss.PointingoutKerr'smainconcerninthisworkmayhelpto clarifywhyatheoryofpracticeisbothimportantanddifferentfromthe candidateswehavesofarexamined.Kerrsuggeststhatabroaderand morecomprehensivetheoryofteachingisneededtoallowustomake appropriatejudgmentsaboutthequalityofteaching.Thecandidateswe areofferedintheeducationalresearchliterature,particularlythatresearchthatdeals,inaself-describedway,with"effectiveteaching,"are notuptothetaskbecausethewayinwhichteachingisconceptualized inthesestudiesisinadequate.Teachingisseeninthesestudiesasakind ofempiricalphenomenonwhichcanbestudiedthroughtheprocedures andcanonsofempiricalscience.Kerr'sobjectionisthatteaching,asa speciesofpractice,mustbeconceivedinadifferentwayand,therefore, studiedinadifferentway.Thiskindofstudywillfurtherallowusto makeinformedjudgmentsaboutthequalityofteaching,ortousethe currentjargon,wewillhaveabetterunderstandingofwhateffective teachingis.
