Semester 96-1

395 -

4 CRITICAL INCIDENTS IN TEACHING:

THE TEACHER AS DECISION MAKER

Section: E1.00

? Scheduled Final Exam: NO

PREREQUISITE

60 credit hours

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Instructor: L. Bickerton &

M. Adam

Office: 8634mpc

Tel: 291-4432

Fax: 291-3203

E-mail: Laura_Bickerton@sfu.ca

This course offered for pre-service and in-service teachers who wish to participate in the examination of educational

issues and the influence of these on classroom practice. Such influence may have a deep and pervasive effect upon the

degrees of freedom and emotional health of professionals, upon their beliefs and values, about the profession itself, and

upon their subsequent professional practice.

This course uses contemporary film and readings to raise levels of awareness about factors influencing teachers' decision

making through examination of a variety of critical incidents in teaching. Films, books, journal articles and written case

studies are supplemented by focused goup discussions. It is through this critical examination that students become more

aware of personal decision making in their own professional and educational contexts.

OBJECTIVES

To promote greater understanding of and appreciation for the various and complex issues that

influence personal decision making.

To provide opportunities to examine the tension between philosophical beliefs, educational

issues and classroom practice.

To promote an awareness for the value of case method teaching as an instructional model in the

examination of complex issues.

REQUIREMENTS

Attendance and Participation

2. Case Study Analyses

3. Personal Responses

4. Summative Project

Student grades will be determined through a process of self-evaluation and instructor feedback against competency in

the course requirements.

READINGS

REQ REC

Wassermann, S.

Teachers College

Introduction to Case Method

Press, New York, ?

Teachng: A Guide to the Galaxy

N.Y.