The task of effectively integrating thought and action has plagued social scientists and frustrated professional practitioners for many years (Argyris and Schon, 1974). In the first of three major critiques of educational research, Schwab (1969) identifies failure to make the theory/practice distinction as the major impediment to educational progress. Schwab maintains that the aim of practical knowledge is to aid decision-making and guide action in specific situations and that, in contrast to theoretical knowledge, practical knowledge has no great durability or extensive application. In the last decade, several researchers have focused their attention on the practical knowledge of professionals (). Building on Imershein's work, Crocker (1983) has advanced the concept of a functionalparadigm as a means of investigating why teachers and classrooms function as they do. Crocker assumes that teachers are similar to other communities of scholars or practitioners in sharing common beliefs, values, exemplars, and routines which constitute functional paradigm, and he points out that identifying functional paradigms involves seeking commonalities among teachers rather than differences. One purpose of the current study was to shed some light on the extent to which teachers' beliefs, values, and techniques, as they apply to interpretation of curriculum materials, are commonly held, and the extent to which they are idiosyncratic.The study is an examination of the interpretive process used by high school chemistry teachers in translating curriculum materials into classroom practice. The specific set of curriculum materials which provide the context for the study are called ALCHEM* (see footnote on page 118) and are authorized for grade 10, 11, and 12 chemistry courses in Alberta. The study was guided by the following four questions: 1 . What is the nature of teachers' functional paradigms as represented by the way 2. What are some of the factors which influence teacher interpretation of curric-3. What are some of the relationships among these factors? they interpret curriculum materials? ulum materials? Science Education 71(1): 117-134 (1987) 0 118 LANTZ AND KASS 4.What would be some of the characteristics of a model of teacher interpretation of curriculum materials which is based on data derived from the study?* The content and format of the ALCHEM materials are unique in at least three ways: a) applied and descriptive Chemistry are used to develop chemistry theory; b) several of the current concerns in science education are addressed, including the nature of science, science and society, and practical versus theoretical knowledge in science; and c) the three student core books consist of pages which can be inserted into student loose leaf binders. In its present form there are three core books and seven elective units in the ALCHEM program. The core books are called ALCHEM 10, ALCHEM 20, and ALCHEM 30, and can be used as the basis of two half-courses and one full course, respectively, or with two full courses. Each core boo...
