Pathways in real-life learning: the road to expertise

The pathway to expertise is a long journey, and few make it. Regardless of discipline, the journey is similar; what differentiates the journey is the knowledge that underpins the profession. This research explores expert teachers and the knowledge that underpins the teaching profession. Much research in teacher education has concentrated on individual elements of expert teaching. There has been less emphasis on understanding the complex real-life process of expert teaching in its entirety. The model presented here looks at an integrated approach to understanding the development of expert teachers through real-life learning experiences and related factors.