Comparing Theories from Textbooks and Practicing Teachers

The theories of student learning presented in four current educational psychology texts were com pared with those expressed by 38 cooperating teachers in discussions of teaching practice with pre service teachers. The theories in the texts differed from the teachers’ theories in purpose, in language, and in major concepts. The texts focused on explication of the concepts in the formal theories of educational psychology; the teachers focused on explaining how they conceptualize their practice. The interviews with teachers revealed that the tacit learning theories of teachers give prominence to three sets of relationships: (a) responsibility, respect, and rapport; (b) confidence, trust, and suc cess, and (c) interest, honesty, and relevance.