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Abstract: The study of teacher cognition aims to shed light on these cognitive processes and structures, to explore their origins and development, and to understand their relationships to what teachers do and teachers’ development through reflective teaching also adds certain beliefs into teacher cognition.
Keywords: Teacher Cognition Teacher Development Reflective Teaching
1 Works on Teacher Cognition
Teacher cognition refers to the unobservable cognitive dimension of teaching-what teachers know, believe, and think. These include teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, principles, theories, and attitudes, as well as their thoughts and reflections about their teaching processes. The conceptual history of language teacher cognition research is quite diverse. The study of English teachers’ cognition of teaching can be divided into three stages: the beginning stage in the middle of 1970s, the developing stage from 1980s to 1990s, and consolidating stage in the late 1990s. Freeman (2002) considers 1990-2000 as the decade of consolidation (which in his analysis follows change) in research on teacher knowledge and learning to teach, but his analysis is more pertinent to the mainstream educational research. According to Borg (2003), in the field of language teaching, the bulk of research on teacher cognition started to appear in the 1990s, picking up a momentum in the second half of the decade which continues to gather pace today. In analyzing teacher cognition in language teaching, 1990-2000 emerges as the decade of change. In 1996, Devon Woods proposed his hypothetical construct, that is, BAK--a construct analogous to the notion of schema, but emphasizing the notion that beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge are included. Woods’ hypothesis drives the study of teacher cognition forward. The purposes of his study are more justifiable to propose an inclusive rather than exclusive concept. Later, Borg put forward personal pedagogical systems. In 2001, he and Michalela defined teachers’ beliefs as pedagogic beliefs, or those beliefs of relevance to an individual’s teaching. The study of teacher cognition aims to shed light on these cognitive processes and structures, to explore their origins and development, and to understand their relationships to what teachers do (Borg 2003).
In China, although not so many researchers set foot in this field, more and more scholars become interested in the study of teacher cognition. Liu (1999) made a research on the impact of non-native EFL professionals on their students. He studied teachers’ self-perceptions and their impact on learners. However, he only touched upon what reaction of the learners, not relating students’ English performance. Hu (2004), Zheng (2005), and Lin (2005) made some achievement. They all investigated English teachers’ beliefs through case studies and helped EFL teachers improve their teaching skills according to their research product. But they didn’t point out the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and teaching effect by case studies.
2 Works on Teacher Development through Reflective Teaching
Classroom teaching is affected by teacher’s beliefs and other factors. On the one hand, teachers are decision-makers in the class, they decide what to teach and how to teach. On the other hand, they communicate with their colleagues, students, and students’ parents to get rewarding suggestions. During this process, they go along reflective thinking to make their teaching on the upgrade. In the first part of the 20th century, John Dewey first put forward his understanding of the notion of reflection and devoted himself to establish what he knew reflection to be. Dewey’s definition of reflection is "that which involves active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in light of the reasons that support it and the further consequences to which it leads" (Wang, 2004). Reflective teaching was popularized by Cruickshank (Cruickshank and Applegate 1981; Cruickshank et al. 1981) and Zeichner (Zeichner 1981; Zeichner and Teitlebaum 1982; Zeichner 1983). They have reported on projects attempting to assist both pre-service and experienced teachers to teachreflectively’. Cruickshank and Zeichner define the term reflective teaching differently. Cruickshank defines reflective teaching as the teacher’s thinking about what happens in classroom lessons, and thinking about alternative means of achieving goals of aims; he sees it as a means to provide students withan opportunity to consider the teaching event thoughtfully, analytically and objectively’(Bartlett, 1990).
3 The Relationship between Teacher Cognition and Teacher Development
Teachers believe deepening teaching reform, improving teaching quality, and meeting the needs of the country and society should be advocated. But because the hardware of the university, or some limitations of the condition, they think what they should do to improve their teaching may be within what environment they belong to. So we notice that a teacher can and should advance in professional expertise and knowledge throughout his or her career, they have reflections on their teaching. As reflective thinking happened based on their teaching effect, they expressed their wish to make progress and adjust their teaching in a more appropriate way. So we believe that as the development of teachers’ reflective thinking, teacher cognition adds some new beliefs, ideas, or principles which will guide their EFL teaching in the future and teachers’ self-development.
References：
[1]Borg, S. Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what teachers think, know believe, and do. Language Teaching, 2003.
[2]Devon Woods. Teacher Cognition in Language Teaching: Beliefs, Decision-making and Classroom Practice. Cambridge University Press, 1996.
[3]Donald Freeman
Keywords: Teacher Cognition Teacher Development Reflective Teaching
1 Works on Teacher Cognition
Teacher cognition refers to the unobservable cognitive dimension of teaching-what teachers know, believe, and think. These include teachers’ beliefs, knowledge, principles, theories, and attitudes, as well as their thoughts and reflections about their teaching processes. The conceptual history of language teacher cognition research is quite diverse. The study of English teachers’ cognition of teaching can be divided into three stages: the beginning stage in the middle of 1970s, the developing stage from 1980s to 1990s, and consolidating stage in the late 1990s. Freeman (2002) considers 1990-2000 as the decade of consolidation (which in his analysis follows change) in research on teacher knowledge and learning to teach, but his analysis is more pertinent to the mainstream educational research. According to Borg (2003), in the field of language teaching, the bulk of research on teacher cognition started to appear in the 1990s, picking up a momentum in the second half of the decade which continues to gather pace today. In analyzing teacher cognition in language teaching, 1990-2000 emerges as the decade of change. In 1996, Devon Woods proposed his hypothetical construct, that is, BAK--a construct analogous to the notion of schema, but emphasizing the notion that beliefs, assumptions, and knowledge are included. Woods’ hypothesis drives the study of teacher cognition forward. The purposes of his study are more justifiable to propose an inclusive rather than exclusive concept. Later, Borg put forward personal pedagogical systems. In 2001, he and Michalela defined teachers’ beliefs as pedagogic beliefs, or those beliefs of relevance to an individual’s teaching. The study of teacher cognition aims to shed light on these cognitive processes and structures, to explore their origins and development, and to understand their relationships to what teachers do (Borg 2003).
In China, although not so many researchers set foot in this field, more and more scholars become interested in the study of teacher cognition. Liu (1999) made a research on the impact of non-native EFL professionals on their students. He studied teachers’ self-perceptions and their impact on learners. However, he only touched upon what reaction of the learners, not relating students’ English performance. Hu (2004), Zheng (2005), and Lin (2005) made some achievement. They all investigated English teachers’ beliefs through case studies and helped EFL teachers improve their teaching skills according to their research product. But they didn’t point out the relationship between teachers’ beliefs and teaching effect by case studies.
2 Works on Teacher Development through Reflective Teaching
Classroom teaching is affected by teacher’s beliefs and other factors. On the one hand, teachers are decision-makers in the class, they decide what to teach and how to teach. On the other hand, they communicate with their colleagues, students, and students’ parents to get rewarding suggestions. During this process, they go along reflective thinking to make their teaching on the upgrade. In the first part of the 20th century, John Dewey first put forward his understanding of the notion of reflection and devoted himself to establish what he knew reflection to be. Dewey’s definition of reflection is "that which involves active, persistent, and careful consideration of any belief or supposed form of knowledge in light of the reasons that support it and the further consequences to which it leads" (Wang, 2004). Reflective teaching was popularized by Cruickshank (Cruickshank and Applegate 1981; Cruickshank et al. 1981) and Zeichner (Zeichner 1981; Zeichner and Teitlebaum 1982; Zeichner 1983). They have reported on projects attempting to assist both pre-service and experienced teachers to teachreflectively’. Cruickshank and Zeichner define the term reflective teaching differently. Cruickshank defines reflective teaching as the teacher’s thinking about what happens in classroom lessons, and thinking about alternative means of achieving goals of aims; he sees it as a means to provide students withan opportunity to consider the teaching event thoughtfully, analytically and objectively’(Bartlett, 1990).
3 The Relationship between Teacher Cognition and Teacher Development
Teachers believe deepening teaching reform, improving teaching quality, and meeting the needs of the country and society should be advocated. But because the hardware of the university, or some limitations of the condition, they think what they should do to improve their teaching may be within what environment they belong to. So we notice that a teacher can and should advance in professional expertise and knowledge throughout his or her career, they have reflections on their teaching. As reflective thinking happened based on their teaching effect, they expressed their wish to make progress and adjust their teaching in a more appropriate way. So we believe that as the development of teachers’ reflective thinking, teacher cognition adds some new beliefs, ideas, or principles which will guide their EFL teaching in the future and teachers’ self-development.
References：
[1]Borg, S. Teacher cognition in language teaching: A review of research on what teachers think, know believe, and do. Language Teaching, 2003.
[2]Devon Woods. Teacher Cognition in Language Teaching: Beliefs, Decision-making and Classroom Practice. Cambridge University Press, 1996.
[3]Donald Freeman