WISDOM AND EXPERTISE IN TEACHING - AN INTEGRATION OF PERSPECTIVES

Two perspectives on adult development, the lifespan perspective and th e post formal perspective, are integrated to provide a potentially pow erful way of defining wisdom and expertise in teaching. Lifespan studi es of wisdom in general emphasize relativism, contextualism and uncert ainty as three of the criteria that characterize wisdom. Relativism, c ontextualism and uncertainity are argued from a post formal perspectiv e to be dimensions of mature adult thought. The post formal literature emphasizes as well problem formulation and ability to take another's point-of-view as other important dimensions of optimal adult thought. The redefinition of wisdom in general in the context of actual occupat ional expertise, namely teaching, allows these lifespan ideas of wisdo m and expertise to be situated in actual practice where wisdom may or may not simply be a function of age and experience and where post form al variables may predict the attainment of wisdom.