Developing a resource for teachers: Theory, practice, possibility

Abstract

Producing an officially commissioned curriculum resource calls for expert pedagogical and content knowledge and the application of theory. From the viewpoints of developer, teacher and teacher educator, all involved in the design and use of a selected resource, this paper reviews the layers of theories which underpinned the shaping of a drama education video intended to support teacher professional knowledge and practice. Multiple layers of theory are evident: the theory guiding developers, the theory behind content area and pedagogy, the theory for action of the participating practitioners, and critically informed theory for teacher education. The paper examines how theorising informed the preparation of the resource and influenced its outcome, and reflects critically on future possibilities for effective design and use of resources. It discusses how the particular resource has continued to be used in teacher education, validating the original aim that teachers could innovate with the material to suit context. Finally, the author argues that from such educational initiatives, valuable knowledge may build capacity for further teacher development, and that, as an act of research, such theorising can contribute to the scholarship of teaching.