Understanding Pedagogy

`I commend it to anyone with a concern for teaching in any of its forms' - School Leadership and Management

In this controversial book, Peter Mortimore and a team from London University's Institute of Education explore what is meant by the term pedagogy.They investigate its context and describe some of the recent shifts in thinking about it.

Pedagogy affects the way hundreds of thousands of learners of different ages and stages are taught. Yet, until recently, it has been a neglected topic. Instead of having access to systematic evidence about its impact, innovative teachers have been guided only by ideological positions, folk wisdom and fashionable enthusiasms for particular approaches.

The contributors to this book, all with professional backgrounds as teachers, have scoured the literature to examine the impact of different pedagogies on nursery, primary and secondary schools as well as on further education colleges, universities and the workplace. The book also considers learners with special educational needs and the implications of using information and communications technology.

The authors open up debates on the following key topics:

· how best to define pedagogy

· what we know about the impact of particular pedagogies on learning what is still not known

· whether there are important differences between the pedagogy used for

learners of different ages and stages

· whether any lessons for the future can be gleaned from current practice.

This important book is invaluable reading for interested teachers working with learners of all ages.The issues raised affect the way we think about the teaching of the under fives through to university students and continuing lifelong learners. It is essential reading for policymakers, practitioners and tutors.