Teachers’ Reports of Their Cognitive Processes During Teaching

Abstract

Each of 12 experienced teachers taught a social studies lesson to three groups of junior high students under experimental conditions. After each 3-hour lesson, teachers viewed four brief videotaped segments of their teaching and responded to a structured interview concerning their cognitive processes while teaching. Teachers’ responses were audiotaped and coded. Reports were characterized most frequently by a sequence of observing student reactions, judging them to be satisfactory, and continuing teaching. Differences in reports were related to teachers’ cognitive styles and abilities, to teachers’ planning statements, and to student achievement and attitude.