A Case Study on How to Use Classroom Information in Planning and Implementing a Lesson : A Comparison between Experienced and Inexperienced Teachers

Abstract

This study proposed three types of classroom information used by a teacher, and the reconsideration of a process for planning lessons. The proposed classroom information consisted of three kinds of information : 1) determinant information for ways of implementing successive lessons, 2) feed-forward information for the next lesson planned, and 3) feedback information for improvement of the lesson. As a case study, this study explored how to use classroom information by comparing an experienced teacher with an inexperienced (second-year) teacher. The results were as follows : 1) there was a difference between the experienced and inexperienced teacher in using determinant information for successive ways of implementing the lesson ; 2) there were no basic differences between them in using feed-forward information for the next lesson plan ; and 3) there was no difference between them basically in using feedback information for improvement of the lesson. While the inexperienced teacher referred to teaching skill based on feedback information, the experienced teacher referred to construction of the lesson based on feedback information. It is thought that these differences were due to personal teaching theory, the quantity of episodic knowledge on lesson, and their usage. Finally, the descriptive model of using classroom information by a teacher was proposed and the relationship between using classroom information and teacher growth was discussed.