Exploration Of John I. Goodlad’s Teacher Education Thoughts

John Goodlad is an famous American contemporary educator. Extensive knowledgesand a wealth of practical experiences make him a unique insight into the education issues, andthey also contribute to form his own theoretical system in teacher education. The Goodlad’steacher education thoughts, not only makes a outstanding contribution on the development ofAmerican teacher education, but also has a reference and enlightening significance to the teachereducation of our country at this stage. On the basis of existing studies of Goodlad’s educationthoughts, this thesis focuses on the thoughts of teacher education.In the introduce part, there are the cause of this study, meaning of this topics, research statusreview about Goodlad’s teacher education thoughts. This part also introduces the researchframework and research methods.The body paragraphs can be divided into four chapters. Chapter One describes theinfluencing factors and the theoretical basis of Goodlad’s teacher education thoughts. Theinfluencing factors consist mainly Goodlad’s personal schooling and work experience, hiseducational practices activities, as well as criticism of the traditional teacher education. Thetheoretical basis of Goodlad’s teacher education thoughts comprises three parts: socialreconstructionism, Dewey’s pragmatism education philosophy and Goodlad’s school ecologytheory. This thesis respectively discusses these parts.The second chapter discusses the basic propositions concerning Goodlad’s teacher educationthoughts, including the view about teaching and teacher, the essential condition of teacher’seducation quality and the new teacher education system. Goodlad considers teaching as a skilland a specialized occupation. He also puts forwards his own propositions with respect to thequalities and the works of teachers. Goodlad think that the traditional teacher education fails tocultivate teachers who can meet the actual needs in schools. Therefore, he propose20postulatesabout better teacher eduation, and design a new teacher education system which embracespre-education and post-development.Chapter three expounds the strategies and routes that how to renew the teacher education.Goodlad believes that the strategy to develop teacher education is to establish theuniversity-school partnership，and renew the teacher education and schooling simultaneously.And its concrete measures are to establish “the National Network for Education Renewal”,“theInstitute for Educational Inquiry”,“Center of Pedagogy”. This chapter briefly discusses the useof Goodlad’s teacher education thoughts. This part and the second chapter are the main part ofthis thesis. Chapter four is reference and thinking. This part discusses the development tendency ofGoodlad’s teacher education thoughts, and the enlightenments of Goodlad’s teacher educationalthoughts for our country.