Teaching as a Knowledge-based Activity

The many knowledge inputs that underpin teaching can be categorised in various ways depending on point of view and analytical purpose. Five different ways of describing the knowledge base are set out here. None is considered satisfactory in terms of addressing how teachers access their knowledge base or how classroom behaviour is affected by different knowledge inputs. A new model is presented, deriving from Lonergan's (1957) epistemological analysis of common sense. This is predicated on a concept of teaching as an intelligent, knowledge-based activity and takes proper account of teachers' professionalism.