Teaching experience between practical and savoirs théoriques

Abstract

Currently, two models are competition as regards the professional training of teachers. According to the former a good transmission of the reference savoir  is necessary to influence the didactic and pedagogical choices (academic
contents and also other scientific subjects such as psychology of learning, school sociology, etc.). According to the latter, it is in action and through action that improvements are made and can still be bettered through reflexive thinking afterwards. We have studied the relevance of these two models by analyzing the professional practice of a primary school teacher in her teaching of five-year-olds how to write: her strategic choices (progress all along the school year, distribution of workshops), her tactics of interaction with the children
and her sources of information (preservice and inservice training, personal readings, professional exchange, etc.). In this particular case, it can be said that a consistent pedagogical action can rely on diverse theoretical sources, which the practitioner does not necessarily remember even if he or she has drawn a profit from them in his or her action. On the other hand, the activities are chosen, tested, carried on or given up according to practical criteria and their elucidation afterwards does not necessarily induce a teacher to question or improve them.