THE ART AND SCIENCE OF CONSTRUCTIVIST RESEARCH IN TEACHER THINKING

There have been a number of studies on teacher thinking that have used Personal Construct Psychology theory and method. Many of these accoun ts have not fully articulated the procedures used. In this article we indicate a number of decisions that need to be addressed when using Re pertory Grid techniques. We will argue that there is both an art and a science in the use of such techniques. Research on teacher thinking w ithin a constructivist framework can be enhanced by the use of multi-m ethod approaches. In this article we illustrate the use of Repertory G rid, ''snake'', and the self-characterisation sketch as three methods we have used to help student teachers consider their views on teacher effectiveness.