The complex interaction of teaching and learning: Understanding innovative pedagogies

This chapter starts by locating the work on pedagogy in the wider literature, and identifies some shortcomings surrounding the concept of pedagogy. It then discusses the concept of pedagogy as located in the dynamic interactions of knowledge and practice, of research sciences and creative implementation, and of educational theories and particular practices. The pedagogical continuum is presented as a conceptual tool to identify clusters of innovative pedagogies. The second part of the chapter expands the conceptual framework by including critical reflections about the purpose, effective practice and combinations of pedagogies, the influence of content areas and context, and how to frame system-based pedagogical change. In the last section the building of the compilation is briefly explained, as well as the work with the innovative networks of schools, and the role of these networks to balance the conceptual work of the report, with examples coming from the field.