The Apprenticeship of Observation at 50: How We Have Studied K-12 Experiences and What We Have Learned

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Thursday 7:45 am - Gold 1
  In Roundtable Session: Moments That Matter: Teacher Identities Across Generations

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to systematically review literature related to the apprenticeship of observation construct. This year marks the 50th anniversary since Lortie introduced the apprenticeship of observation, or the 13,000 hours of K-12 school experiences that inform teachers’ understanding of their work. This review examined 46 peer reviewed articles published since 1975 related to the apprenticeship of observation. Findings include several studies that surfaced preservice and/or inservice teachers’ positive and negative models of teaching, as well as teachers’ use of their K-12 (or previous) experiences to evaluate different episodes of teaching. The proposal addresses the limitations of the reviewed literature (e.g., lack of empirical focus on the apprenticeship of observation).

Author

• William J. Davis, Southern Utah University