Research Schulman Teachers On Knowledge

Lee S.Shulman (1938-), a well-known educationist in contemporary United States, is one of the leading person in the field of teacher education study in the present world. He gives a full detail of his Concept of Teachers’ Knowledge in theory, which are accepted by most teachers and educational institutes of America and also taken as the theoretical base for teacher education curriculum, producing great effect on America’s educational circle. His view attracts the attention of researchers from America and also other countries.This paper mainly focuses on the research of Shulman’s Concept of Teachers’ Knowledge. At first, Shulman’s own educational experiences and practices in different periods are described. The traditional Jewish education and his learning in University of Chicago as well as some of the work experiences of education influenced the formation of his educational thought. The following is the analysis of social and historical background that Shulman’s Concept of Teachers’ Knowledge was generated. His view produced in1980s when teachers’ professionalization in America was very influential, and was also affected by some scholars such as Al Bates. Compared with Shulman, Al Bates emphasizes too much on the practices of teachers’ knowledge, but ignores other factors. In addition, the elaboration of the educational background also involved his educational experience and some important persons that produced far-reaching impact on Shulman’s Concept of Teachers’ Knowledge, including his access to Jewish education, his mentor Schwab and the famous American educator John Dewey.The main part of this paper is Shulman’s basic proposition of his Concept of Teachers’Knowledge, which composed by the source of teachers’knowledge, his early concept emphasizing on content of teachers’knowledge and later concept emphasizing on Pedagogical Content knowledge, and the characterization of teachers’ knowledge. These small parts offer a common interpretation of the main content of Shulman’s Concept of Teachers’ Knowledge. At last, I express the objective evaluation of Shulman’s Concept of Teachers’ Knowledge and offer some enlightenments of China’s teacher education.