In the past decade, attention in research on teaching and teacher education has shifted from
observable behaviors or teaching skills to teachers’ knowledge and beliefs. This shift was influenced
by a growing dissatisfaction with the results of process-product research. Doyle (1990)
argued that the focus in process-product research on indicators of effectiveness has led to a fragmented
and mechanistic view of teaching in which the complexity of the teaching enterprise is
not acknowledged. To understand why teachers behave as they do, it is necessary to investigate
how teachers construct meaning in classroom settings (Doyle, 1990). Initially, research on teachers’
knowledge and beliefs focused on teachers’ thought processes (Clark & Peterson, 1986).
More recently, the interest in teachers’ practical knowledge (Carter, 1990) or craft knowledge
(Grimmett & MacKinnon, 1992) has increased. Although researchers differ in their research purposes
and definitions, craft knowledge broadly refers to the knowledge teachers have with respect
to their teaching practice. For some, research on craft knowledge implies the acknowledgment
of the complex and the context specific nature of teaching, and may therefore
contribute to the empowerment of teachers and to an enhancement of the status of teaching as
a profession (Doyle, 1990).
The concept of craft knowledge has been the subject of controversy. Tom and Valli (1990)
reviewed some major criticisms, such as the supposedly nonscientific nature of craft knowledge
and the conservatism inherent in teaching practice. They suggested that the codification of craft
knowledge, sensitive as it is to various contexts and contrasting conceptions of good teaching,
might turn out to be “a contradiction in terms” (Tom & Valli, 1990, p. 390). Grimmett and
MacKinnon (1992) tried to solve this dilemma by defining craft knowledge not as “a knowledge
base as such, but as a framework for helping prospective and experienced teachers develop
their repertoire of responses, understandings, and magical tricks” (p. 441). According to
Grimmett and MacKinnon, the essence of craft knowledge pertains to a “teaching sensibility”
rather than to “a knowledge of propositions” (p. 393).
In this article, we define craft knowledge as integrated knowledge which represents teachers’
accumulated wisdom with respect to their teaching practice. As this knowledge guides the
teachers’ actions in practice, it encompasses teachers’ knowledge and beliefs with respect to various
aspects such as pedagogy, students, subject matter, and the curriculum. Although deeply
rooted in teachers’ practical work, craft knowledge is, in our view, not opposite theoretical or
scientific knowledge. Instead, craft knowledge encompasses knowledge derived from prior education
as well as from ongoing schooling activities (cf. Beijaard & Verloop, 1996). Moreover,
craft knowledge is supposedly influenced by factors related to teachers’ personal backgrounds
and by the context in which they work (cf. Hoyle & John, 1995). As a consequence of this definition,
research on craft knowledge cannot lead to the establishment of a knowledge base with
a prescriptive nature. However, research on craft knowledge should attempt to surpass the idiosyncratic
level of individual narratives. As for us, we are looking for common patterns in craft
knowledge and in the development of this knowledge to develop “frameworks” in the sense of
Grimmett and MacKinnon (1992). Moreover, we believe that research on craft knowledge can
lead to the formation of a knowledge base which, although different in nature and content, may
prove to be a vital addition to existing educational knowledge bases (cf. Verloop, 1992).