Sookhee Im

Contemplative Teachers' Practical Knowledge: Towards Holistic Teacher Education Sookhee Im

The purpose of this study is to understand the significance of contemplative practice in fostering teachers' practical knowledge. Teachers' practical knowledge has been valued to make teaching relevant to students' real life contexts. However, practical knowledge has been considered difficult to teach because of the diversity and dynamism of reality. Based on the conceptualization that teachers' contemplative practice could support their practical knowledge development, this study was implemented through a review of the literature and exploration of direct experiences of four teachers who have linked their contemplative practices to teaching. The literature review informs us that in order to develop teachers' practical knowledge, attention, a sense of the whole, and a sense of context are critical. Those qualities can be fostered by intuitive knowing which can be developed by contemplation. The exploration of the participants' direct experiences shows that their contemplative practices performed a significant role in fostering practical knowledge and in making their teaching relevant to the students' real lives from a holistic perspective.