The Case For Cases In Teacher Education

This monograph argues that the case method of instruction, used effectively in legal and medical education, offers unique potential for revitalizing the field of teacher education. A description of the use of the case method in two different teaching sessions demonstrates how the method can exemplify the way a teacher frames and solves a dilemma and encourage students to diagnose, justify, and reflect on alternative action plans. In arguing the potential of the case method, several key questions are addressed: (1) What is meant by the "case method," and what purposes has the case method served in other professional fields? (2) How do the capabilities of the case method match up with the necessary components of the teacher education curriculum? and (3) If the case for cases in teacher education is compelling--as this monograph argues that it is--what will it take to move ahead and build the case method into existing teacher education curriculum and instruction? For institutions recognizing education as a professional field, the case method of instruction offers one effective pedagogical method by which to operationalize this belief. (JD)

This third edition of Teaching and the Case Method is a further response to increased national and international interest in teaching, teachers, and learning, as well as the pressing need to enhance instructional effectiveness in the widest possible variety of settings. Like its predecessors, this edition celebrates the joys of teaching and learning at their best and emphasizes the reciprocal exchange of wisdom that teachers and students can experience. It is based on the belief that teaching is not purely a matter of inborn talent. On the contrary, the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that make for excellence in teaching can be analyzed, abstracted, and learned. One key premise of Teaching and the Case Method is that all teaching and learning involve a core of universally applicable principles that can be discerned and absorbed through the study and discussion of cases.

(Orginally published in 2008) The goal of AMTE Monograph 4, "Cases in Mathematics Teacher Education: Tools for Developing Knowledge Needed for Teaching", is to provide detailed accounts of case use that will inform the mathematics teacher education community on the range of ways in which cases can be used to foster teacher learning and the capacity to reflect on and learn from teaching. The chapters in this monograph describe the use of cases with preservice and practicing teachers at all levels K - 12, in content and methods courses as well as professional development settings, and focus on developing various aspects of teachers' knowledge base (i.e., content, pedagogy, and students as learners). Hence, Monograph 4 should prove to be a superb resource for mathematics teacher educators.

With the recent and increasing attention to accountability and standards, teacher preparation programs are more than ever in need of tools that vicariously acquaint future teachers with the difficult situations they will face. Cases for Teacher Development: Preparing for the Classroom is the perfect catalyst for this sort of teacher development. The cases encourage students to immerse themselves in classroom situations before they begin their practice, helping them link theory and experience. All of the cases present relevant situations that replicate the complicated, multitasked, and interrelated realms of the teacher.

Case method teaching immerses students in realistic business situations--which include incomplete information, time constraints, and conflicting goals. The class discussion inherent in case teaching is well known for stimulating the development of students' critical thinking skills, yet instructors often need guidance on managing that class discussion to maximize learning. Teaching with Cases focuses on practical advice for instructors that can be easily implemented. It covers how to plan a course, how to teach it, and how to evaluate it. The book is organized by the three elements required for a great case-based course: 1) advance planning by the instructor, including implementation of a student contract; 2) how to make leading a vibrant case discussion easier and more systematic; and 3) planning for student evaluation after the course is complete. Teaching with Cases is ideal for anyone interested in case teaching, whether basing an entire course on cases, using cases as a supplement, or simply using discussion facilitation techniques. To learn more about the book, and to see resources available, visit teachingwithcases.hbsp.harvard.edu.

Teachers and teacher educators have long been aware of the gap between the principles of education taught in university preservice programs and the realities of classroom life. The current burgeoning interest in educational case methods is testimony to the promise of case-based teaching as a way of bridging that gap, and of easing the novice teacher's entry into the classroom. A case holds attributes of both theory and practice, enabling teachers and students alike to examine real-life situations under a laboratory microscope.

This book shares the personal stories of fifteen talented educators, their successes, shortcomings, and growing pains about teaching with case studies in 12 different content areas. Case studies are slices of life which illustrate a myriad of dilemmas from moral issues to classroom management. Teaching with cases can offer educators a variety of opportunities to expand and extend their teaching skills, problem solving abilities, and grasp of contemporary issues in classrooms today. Case discussions also offer a window into pre-service, in-service or graduate students' experiences, opinions, perceptions, or misconceptions of educational dilemmas. Resources, examples, assignments, and cases are included. For any pre-service or in-service teacher.