The Case Study of Teacher's Beliefs Which Express in his/her Teaching Behavior:

Focused on the Ehtnorgraphy as to an Elementary School Teacher

Abstract

  This paper is based on the participant observation and inteviews with an elementary school teacher and tries to clarify the contents of his beliefs in the 1997-98 academic year. According to research materials, the characteristics of the teacher are as follows;

  1. He is a frank and open-minded practitioner with a strong ethics of teaching profession.

  2. He always self-reflects his own teaching practice and its effectiveness from the viewpoint of pupil's products of learning.

  3. He has an acceptable view of his practices. and also has a positive view of the teaching profession.

  First, this paper showed the base of his teaching behavior. This base is consisted in teacher's belief systems, as “A sense of profession.” They are harmoniously composed of five beliefs, such as a feeling of mission, inquiry, acceptance, efficiency, and competence. Those are arrauged in organic way. They and are based on child-centered mind.

  Secondly, this paper showed the significance of professional development about clarification of the contents of teacher's beliefs through this case study. It is the base of a full beliefs with no resolution of proceduers and skills that he can promote pupil's products of learning. Because it is nesessary for us to think about not only the procedures and skills in educational practice but also the contents of teacher's beliefs in order to promote professional development.

  In addition, this paper has some limitations which do not investigate the process and factors of making up his beliefs.