The Problem of Apprenticeship of Observation in Teacher Education

The extant literature underscores the influences of prior experiences on students''learning in K-12 education (Donovan & Branford 2005). These research efforts thus seem to be more confined to K-12 students. However since the seminal work of Lortie ( 1975) teacher educators and teacher education researchers have engaged in several research undertakings to shed light on the ways teacher candidates use their prior experiences to learn in Teacher Education Programs. This book is part of such research efforts. Nonetheless the particularity of this book is that it not only helps offer insights into the ways prospective teachers learn by drawing on their antecedents but also into the strategies some teacher educators or teacher education programs use to build on their teacher candidates''background. One of the powerful highlights or insights is how the problem of Apprenticeship of Observation may call for different scaffolding strategies in Teacher Education.