Toward a Prototype of Expertise in Teaching

This study used a prototype view of teaching as a theoretical framework to interpret, analyze, and describe the behaviors and verbal responses of three expert teachers and to determine the degree to which these three teachers share a “family resemblance” to one another. A case study that provides descriptions of what expert teachers do and say contributes to our understanding of the complexity of expertise in teaching. Analysis of data collected for this study reveals six central tendencies of the three participants. The rich descriptions and summary representations provide specific and complex profiles to inform teacher educators and professional development providers in their efforts to improve professional practice among teachers.