Review, April 2004
Conceptual Framework NCATE Committee
References updated May 2000, January 2001, February 2004
TEACHER AS LIFELONG LEARNER
Statement of Philosophy
Over twenty years have passed since the 1983 report by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, “A Nation At Risk,” was released. In 2004 the New York City—based Teaching Commission
released its report called “Teaching at Risk: A Call to Action” (Cochran-Smith, 2004). Whether it is the
nation or teaching, education has been and continues to be at the forefront of importance in this country’s
consciousness. As education and its reform comes to the forefront of the nation’s concerns, the university
role in teacher education must be strengthened (Cochran-Smith, 2004).
Change permeates all aspects of the world in which we live, challenging educators to adjust and reform,
thereby providing citizens with the knowledge, understanding, and skills essential to meet the needs of a
dynamic society (e.g. Barth, 1990; Connelly & Clandinin, 1988; French, 1997). Pressing conditions such
as the advancement of technology, growing global economic and social interdependence, and an increasingly multicultural society are but a few of the issues to be addressed by teachers of the 21st century
(Teach America, 1991). It is a myth that the teacher is the lone expert in the classroom (Smith, 2004), for
teaching, like society, is ever changing. Given this state of affairs, the teacher education program at Kutztown University is framed by the following knowledge based domains and candidate proficiencies.
First, necessary to all teaching is a strong general education or liberal arts background, which provides
future teachers with a broad background of general knowledge as well as improving their critical thinking
skills. Additionally, teachers must have a strong background in their content specialization. They need to
know the subjects they are teaching. Knowing content, alone, is not enough. Teachers must possess basic methodology and pedagogy. They must understand the educational climate they encounter and the
basic tenants of American education.
Kutztown University’s College of Education prepares students with three knowledge based domains in
mind—general education, content specialization, and professional methodology. It is through these
knowledge domains that the College of Education prepares teachers with the skills and dispositions to
make them successful in this profession.
While a strong liberal knowledge base and a sound methodological foundation are necessary for successful teaching, they are not sufficient to meet the challenges of the schools of the future. An awareness of
the climate and issues that affect the teacher, the ability to assess critically these situations, and the commitment to act as advocate and change agent are also required. Teachers must exhibit a passion for the
profession, empathy for students, and an appreciation of diversity. They must embrace the belief that all
students can learn. Teachers must be committed to a set of moral principles involving the highest levels of
trust, accountability, fairness and justice that transcend technical classroom competencies (Fenstennacher,
1990). In keeping with the above, the teacher education program at Kutztown University is under girded
by the conception of the Teacher as a Lifelong Learner which focuses on three components: educator,
scholar, and artist (Clark, 1990, Hawe, 1984).
These three components form a synergistic conception of teacher. The teacher as educator describes one
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 1
who has knowledge of educational theory and is skilled in practices that result in an environment conducive to learning. The educator is able to plan, implement, and evaluate on the basis of decisions that emanate from both sound theory and interpretation of an expanding wealth of experiences. The teacher as
scholar is one who possesses extensive knowledge and understanding derived and developed in liberal
and professional education. In addition, the individual has the desire and ability to expand knowledge, and
integrate this knowledge into meaningful learning experiences for students. The teacher as scholar is also
an inquirer who takes a critical intellectual approach to understand issues relevant to education not only at
the classroom level, but in the larger community as well, and, if necessary, acts as a change agent (Katz,
1984). The teacher as artist is characterized by flexibility and imagination that allows for the creation of
whatever is necessary to spark learning and critical thought. Such a person has a vision, driven by an understanding of what is, that seeks to form what ought to be (Giroux, 1988).
This composite notion of teacher, however, is meaningless unless the expertise in critical intellectual
skills is broadened to include an understanding of substantive cultural meanings and moral values that
lead to genuine social integration (Johnson, 1984). Without utilizing such as integration, all teaching becomes ineffectual. In this sense, teaching is not merely a technical task but requires social and cultural
competence and a voluntary commitment to the community. Therefore, the teacher is involved in coming
to know the cultural realities of the community and formulating action based on an awareness of the values and ethics of the community.
Based on the previously stated assumptions and synergistic conception of teacher, teacher education
graduates of Kutztown University will possess a passion for teaching, be empathic to the needs of their
students, and be versed in the skills, knowledge, perspectives and values that will allow for effective
teaching and critical action in a diverse, changing world.
This synergistic conception rests on the idea that teacher education is neither static nor ends upon graduation. It encompasses how to continue to learn in the diverse and changing school contexts in which teachers find themselves (Cochran-Smith, 1991). Thus, the teacher becomes a lifelong
learner, constantly building on the ever growing wealth of experiences and knowledge acquired by practice in the profession and modeling the lifelong learning process for students.
At the undergraduate level, teacher education students at Kutztown University receive the preparation and
clinical experience that enable them to begin their professional careers. At the graduate level, students work
in a collaborative effort with the teacher education faculty to shape and reform their work lives, thereby
refining and extending academic and professional competencies (Lytle and Cochran-Smith, 1990).
Teachers at this level are provided an environment with new methods and ideas and act as advocates for
changes necessary to reform the nature of education and meet the needs of a global society.
The discussion above is incomplete without an explanation of the phases of teaching. The pre-active, interactive, and post-active phases of teaching are detailed below.
The Three Phases of Teaching
The decision-making process of teaching as it concerns content and delivery consists of three phases, specifically, pre-active (before teaching), interactive (during teaching), and post-active (after teaching). The
exact number and rate of decisions play a significant role in the teacher's attainment of instructional goals.
For example, in the interactive phase alone, it has been posited that teachers make one decision every two
minutes (Clark and Peterson, 1986). Although interactive decisions are readily observable, pre- and post-
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 2
active decisions are far more complex and difficult to observe. In other words, what is seen in classroom
instruction frequently is the "tip of the iceberg"; a considerable amount of teaching activity occurs before
and after teachers meet with students. What teachers are thinking can be inferred from observation of
teaching behaviors.
Pre-active
During the pre-active phase the teacher must make numerous planning decisions regarding content and
delivery. What should be taught? How should it be presented? How should student attention be gained
and maintained? This planning behavior includes developing a broad philosophically based position on
decisions about specific instructional objectives. It also includes significant learner characteristics. In addition, the teacher must anticipate the length of time needed for given lesson, identify the appropriate
level(s) for placement, and consider strategies for optimal instruction. Finally, the teacher must make decisions regarding the evaluation of educational outcomes. Each of these activities takes place prior to instruction.
Interactive
In the interactive phase of instruction, the teacher engages in ongoing lesson monitoring and decisionmaking based on the progress of the learning activity. Such situational decisions include continuing, adjusting, or even completely abandoning a lesson plan. Utilizing the plan developed in the pre-active
phase, the teacher judges the flow of the lesson. Cues embedded in the classroom context also determine
how the teacher proceeds. The teacher must additionally monitor the difficulty level of the lesson in relation to student responses. In so doing, the teacher is provided the criteria for adjusting explanations,
strategies or materials, skipping or reteaching part of the plan, and/or postponing the lesson until the students are prepared for the instruction.
Post-active
In the post-active phase of instruction, the teacher must make numerous decisions related to the success of
the lesson. This includes both evaluative activity and reflective activity. Evaluative activity involves making decisions on the basis of how well students attain the objectives of the lesson. These decisions include
whether parts of the learning activity should be reassigned for some or all students, how to provide feedback to students, and how reports should be made to parents. Reflecting activity involves judgments about
the value of the lesson. Were results positive? Was teacher behavior appropriate? For future, similar lessons, what should be changed? How has this experience changed a teacher's self-knowledge and classroom instruction? A discussion of teacher is inadequate without an explanation of the three phases of
teaching. Similarly, a full understanding of teaching is possible only with comprehension of the framework, or knowledge base, elemental to teaching.
The Knowledge Base Defined
A most useful definition of knowledge base is offered by Valli and Tom (1988): "By knowledge base we
mean the entire repertoire of skills, in formation, attitudes, etc., that teachers need to carry out their classroom responsibilities" (p.5). This position assumes teachers to be well versed in their various subject area
as well as in pedagogical precepts. Valli and Tom (1988) further suggest the use of a framework to organize the elements of knowledge. Knowledge bases, i.e., specific domains of academic and professional
knowledge, have emerged as a foremost characteristic teacher education policy of the past decades (Gideonse, 1989). Although some researchers define the concept of knowledge base as an absolute, single,
tightly prescribed method of structuring and presenting, such a limited approach is subject to the pitfalls
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 3
of finiteness. Mann (1989) posits knowledge base to be a collection of the best products derived from the
ongoing process of scholarly inquiry. This discussion has presented a definition of the knowledge base
and acknowledged its breadth and scope. Above all, the need is established for the identification of those
knowledge base domains that under gird teacher preparation programs at Kutztown University.
Teacher as Lifelong Learner: Knowledge Base Domains and Candidate Proficiencies
The Kutztown University model of Teacher as Lifelong Learner reflects the previously stated philosophy
and essential abilities needed in the act of teaching. This model views the teacher as an active agent in a
dynamic and diverse educational setting. The teacher is an educator, scholar, and artist, who is continually
experiencing the pre-active, interactive, and post-active phases of teaching. The teacher is always in the
process of learning, continually refining and extending professional skills. Thus, the model of Teacher as
Lifelong Learner emerges.
In order to make effective strategic teaching decisions; such a teacher must have acquired certain essential
knowledge base domains and candidate proficiencies. Three knowledge base domains reflect the goals of
teacher education programs at Kutztown University.
Knowledge Based Domains
A. General Education
Education of teachers includes preparation in mathematics, natural sciences, fine arts, humanities, and
social and behavioral sciences. The importance of a liberal arts education for teachers is twofold. It provides a model and also enables teachers to understand and justify decisions they make. The education of
teachers must equip them with knowledge of many areas, including the area in which they work, the domains of human knowing, and the relationships among the arts and humanities (Gideonse, 1989). The
Teacher as Lifelong Learner subscribes to the belief that teachers should be the most liberally educated of
all professionals.
B. Content Specialization
Teachers must be thoroughly versed in their subject matter and have sufficient preparation in a major academic area related to the field of specialization. Further, teachers must be able to demonstrate the ability
to apply content and pedagogical knowledge in educational settings. Teachers additionally must possess
knowledge about the materials available for the teaching of their subject matter. The
Teacher as Lifelong Learner is committed to building and extending expertise in content and helping others to master it also.
C. Professional Methodology
Professional educational knowledge is vast in scope and includes basic knowledge of how students learn,
gender issues, instructional techniques, curriculum design, evaluative strategies, current educational
trends, media and technology, performance skills, exceptionalities and variations relating to learning, professional responsibilities, and legal issues. These are only some of the examples of areas in which teachers need professional educational knowledge in order to be effective in the classroom. The Teacher as
Lifelong Learner is always refining theory, methods, and teaching techniques, is a consumer of educational research, and is utilizing current knowledge pertaining to the profession.
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 4
This knowledge begins with the pre-service, aspect of a teacher preparation program and expands commensurately with experience. Examples of practical/experiential knowledge include an awareness of the
climate, issues and politics that affect the role of teaching, a passion for teaching, an ongoing curiosity
about the world, the confidence to become a risk-taker and change agent, and a belief that all students can
learn. The Teacher as Lifelong Learner is always extending practical/experiential knowledge.
Candidate Proficiencies
Broad based knowledge domains develop certain skills and dispositions in teacher candidate. These proficiencies are carefully cultivated throughout the Kutztown University education program leading a candidate to become a Teacher as Lifelong Learner.
From General Education
1. Communication
Knowledge and utilization of effective communication skills are at the heart of effective teaching. An
educator must be able to demonstrate appropriate written and verbal communication skills including articulation, expressive language, voice quality, usage, and grammar. A teacher must also be aware of the
messages relayed via nonverbal communication. Additionally, an educator must be able to select and utilize properly appropriate communication media. Clarity in presentations, feedback, direction of learning
and goal setting contribute to the educator's ability to structure and reinforce learning. Communication
skills allow the educator to accomplish these goals and communicate enthusiasm to learners, both about
the subject and the act of teaching. The Teacher as Lifelong Learner is continually refining communication skills with students, parents, and colleagues.
2. Interpersonal Skills
Effective interpersonal skills are also essential in the act of teaching. The capacity for empathy, a belief
that every child can learn, attention to individual need, sensitivity to problems on the home front, comfortableness in the presence of children or young adults, and the ability to provide a
positive, caring atmosphere for learning are examples of these skills (Gideonse, 1989). The Teacher as
Lifelong Learner also must possess interpersonal skills that foster peer collaboration. In the continual
process of learning, the teacher must be willing to seek help, advice, or solace from peers. The Teacher as
Lifelong Learner revises and expands interpersonal skills on a continual basis. The importance of a
teacher’s vision of passionately working toward personal growth through lifelong learning is evident in
much of the recent literature (Atwell, 1998; Graves, 1994; Routman, 1996).
3. Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is essential in making strategic teaching decisions. Such decisions involve a number of
alternatives relevant to teaching tasks. As might be expected, teachers must process a great deal of knowledge in order to make an appropriate decision for a particular student or group of students. Thus, the quality of instruction provided by the teacher is determined largely by the quality of knowledge, evaluation,
and reflection guiding the teacher's behavior. The Teacher as Lifelong Learner is always using critical
thought to improve the quality of teaching. Additionally, this teacher is able to model and teach the process of critical thinking and inspire students to high levels of academic achievement.
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 5
From Content Specialization
1. Scholarly Inquiry
Teacher candidates must be well versed in their content knowledge. They must understand the trends and
issues specific to their content area. Because content fields are ever changing, maintaining that knowledge is important. Toward that end, teachers must have the ability to utilize scholarship to inquire within
their academic disciplines.
2. Reflective Wisdom
In any area of academic study, a student must be able to reflect on what he/she has learned. This reflection must bring the student to a greater understanding of the content area. This is especially true for
teachers. Responsive teachers are reflective teachers (Lea, 2004). They need to be able to reflect within
their discipline and to teach their students how to do likewise.
3. Integration of Discipline
Knowing a content area is extremely important for a teacher; however, knowing is not enough for teachers. Teachers must be able to tie the content area to the real world with the ability to reach all levels of
students. This practicality is essential in allowing teachers and their students to view their content discipline with perspective and understanding of how it all relates together.
From Professional Methodology
1. Cultural Awareness and Acceptance
In our ever-changing multicultural society, students from diverse social, economic, and ethnic background and family structures will enter school classrooms. The majority of K-12 teachers are white, middle class, and suburban or rural. Yet, 37% of public school children are of color (Sachs, 2004). The
Teacher as Lifelong Learner must strive to be comfortable with a diverse student population and have the
perception to see diversity in people as a strength rather than a deficit. Cultural awareness and acceptance
includes those similarities and commonalties found across cultural lines as well and is not merely a study
of contrasts. Less than 15% of teachers are fluent in another language, yet more than four million students
are limited English proficient (Sachs, 2004). Public school teachers are facing a daunting task. Certainly,
sociocultural awareness is important for being successful in today’s classroom (Sachs, 2004), and the
Teacher as Lifelong Learner must provide for educational opportunities that will foster students' appreciation of the diversity that enriches our nation.
2. Organization and Classroom Management
Organizing and managing instructional settings are complex activities, requiring effective managerial
skills and supportive affective relationships. Effective instruction cannot occur without attention to planning and management. The Teacher as Lifelong Learner adopts a proactive organizational and managerial
style that involves interventions and strategies designed to include positive expectations, self-evaluation,
and growth. Rapid decision making and readjustments are often required in today’s classroom (Frank and
Uy, 2004). Knowledge, communication, and interpersonal skills are important in effective classroom
management and goal oriented instructional time.
3. Technology Integration
Because technological literacy is so vital to being a productive citizen in today’s global society, students
must achieve important technology capabilities. The vital person in that process is the teacher. Through
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 6
establishing the classroom environment and preparing the learning opportunities, teachers facilitate students’ abilities to learn and use technology. Each teacher must develop skills to use technology and the
knowledge of how technology can support student learning. These skills are integral to the teacher’s professional repertoire (McAnear, 2002).
The knowledge based domains and candidate proficiencies described above provide the groundwork for
the Teacher as Lifelong Learner as well as the goals for teacher preparation programs at Kutztown University. This model also accommodates the three levels of learning experienced in a teaching career, as
discussed in the next section. A graphic representation of the model follows.
Teacher as Lifelong Learner: Levels of Learning
As mentioned previously, teaching is dynamic. Through the act of teaching, students are prepared to live
in a rapidly changing world. In order to keep pace, the Teacher as Lifelong Learner must continue refining teaching competencies through experience and reflection upon that experience. The abilities that
characterize novice teachers are different from those of teachers who have more fully developed their
skills through the continual learning process of teaching.
Unsatisfactory
Unfortunately, teacher candidates may not be able to obtain the skills necessary to be a highly qualified
teacher. If that candidate cannot be remediated, he/she must be redirected into a more appropriate field.
Novice/Satisfactory
Novice teachers see themselves as facilitators of learning who have been recently prepared for the act of
teaching. The process of continual learning has just begun.
Proficient/Superior
Proficient teachers have refined their teaching abilities, acting cooperatively with learners sharing with
them the responsibility of learning. The process of continual learning is established and is pursued via
formal and informal avenues.
Mastery/Exemplary
Advanced teachers not only are deeply involved in the continual learning process but also masterfully
apply newly learned knowledge in the discipline. Advanced teachers possess refined communication
skills, interpersonal skills, critical thinking skills, and organizational and managerial skil1s. They also
exhibit an appreciation of and sensitivity to issues relating to cultural awareness and acceptance.
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 7
Alignment to Standards
A, G
PDE Standards
(Chapter 354.33i Exit Criteria)
A
1, 2, 3
1,3
12
4, 5, 6
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8
1,7
INTASC
Core Standards
1
2A, 3A, 3B, 4C
3B, 3C, 3D
1A, 1B, 1C, 1E, 1f, 2B, 2D, 3B,
3C, 3D
1A
1A, 1D
Critical Thinking
Communication
Danielson Framework
A, B, C, D, E, G, H
A
5, 6, 10
2A, 2D, 3B, 3E, 4C
Interpersonal Skills
NCATE Standards
D, F, I
1, 3
4, 5, 6, 10
Conceptual Framework
Content Specialization
F, I, J
1
General Education
Professional Methodology
D, E
2A, 2B
2B, 2C, 2D, 2E, 4B, 4F
3, 5, 8
1, 2, 3
1D, 4E, 4F
1, 3, 4
3, 4
8, 9
1E, 4D
C, B
Cultural Awareness and Acceptance
E, G, H
1, 5
7
4A, 4F
1D
I
3, 4
9
1, 6
A, B, D, F
1, 5
1, 3, 6
I
F
Integration of Technology
Organization and Management
Scholarly Inquiry
Integration of Discipline
Reflective Wisdom
Conceptual Framework–Teacher as Lifelong Learner–Page 8
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