Page 315 - Beyond Methods
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Monitoring teaching acts 303
to promote interaction, and to utilize learning opportunities created by learners.
It is clear from the above analysis and interpretation that the M & M scheme with its emphasis on macrostrategies and mismatches, along with its emphasis on multiple perspectives, helped the teacher and the observer understand the complexity of this particular class- room event. Through critical monitoring of their teaching acts, they were able to sensitize themselves to various perspectives of classroom aims and events. Such a systematic monitoring of teaching acts, lead- ing to a sustained process of self-reflection and self-renewal, has the potential to open up new vistas for teachers to construct their own theory of practice.
Theory construction, then, “does not move away from the con- crete, only to be returned to it in the form of some sort of practical application. Instead, theory is continually moving toward the com- plexity of the concrete and, in the measure that it is correct in indi- cating the underlying concrete and contradictory tensions in reality, it is capable of guiding the transformation of reality” (Lamb, 1982, pp. 49–50). A crucial aspect of this reality is the creation of oppor- tunities for the construction of meaning that has the potential to shape and reshape the thought processes of participating teachers, resulting in mutual enrichment.
Reflective task 13.4
Consider the desirability and the doability of a classroom observation proj- ect like the one described above. Is this something that you as a prospec- tive or practicing teacher can do? What are the institutional resources and constraints that you think can help or hinder your desire to conduct a simi- lar self-observational study?
While the of use the M & M scheme as a classroom observational tool may not be painless, hands-on experience with the scheme will show that it is less painful and more productive than the process of using traditional observational tools. Some of the built-in advantages of the M & M scheme are:
