From interviews of 253 adults and teachers of adults in Canada, the People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Singapore, and the United States, five conceptions of teaching emerged: Engineering–Delivering Content; Apprenticeship–Modeling Ways of Being; Developmental–Cultivating the Intellect; Nurturing–Facilitating Personal Agency; and, Social Reform–Seeking a Better Society. Variation amongst conceptions was examined in relation to three interdependent aspects of each conception: actions, intentions, and beliefs related to one or more of five elements and the relationship amongst those elements: teacher, learner, content, context, and/or an ideal vision for society. Findings have implications for cross-cultural work, the evaluation of teaching, and the development of teachers.
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