Development of teacher expertise throughout the career : interpersonal knowledge. Teacher practical knowledge about teacher-student communication: changes throughout the career

Teacher sense of self-efficacy and ability to teach well is influenced by their capability to build positive relationships with students (Day et al, 2006). This study will focus on the development of teacher practical knowledge about teacher-student communication. We regard teacher practical knowledge as the whole of knowledge that underlies teacher actions (Verloop, van Driel, & Meijer, 2001). In the case of practical knowledge about communication this can take the form of relational schemas (Baldwin, 1992). Relational schemas are generalized cognitions based on repeated experiences in similar situations, consisting of images of self and other and a stereotyped relational pattern or script. In the study presented here, we focus on the development of these schemas throughout the teacher career. Research questions include: 1) what differences in relational schemas exist between groups of teachers at various stages of the career? And, 2) how do these relational schemas change within these groups? We will use a dynamic systems approach to investigate this change and will try to create ‘cognitive landscapes’ for each measurement time. In order to investigate change throughout the career, we will look at the development of these landscapes.