FULLER’S CONCERNS THEORY FULLER’S CONCERNS THEORY

Frances Fuller is a researcher of teacher’s education that creates the Theory of Concerns that highlighting the perceptions, concerns, dissatisfaction and satisfaction of pre-service teachers during their teaching training programme. This theory proposes stages where teachers should progress to develop through the concerns about self, task, and impact. A teacher cannot progress to the next stage unless they have mastered the preceding one.

Concerns about self
Self refers to survival in a new workplace, working out their limits and reflecting introspectively on their own performance - considering limitations and strengths.

Concerns about Task
Task relates to the performance of their students, and their duties as a teacher to see the students succeed because of them and their colleagues.

Concerns about Impact
Impact is the wider social and educational impact that a teacher has on the school system as a whole. By this stage, a teacher should have command over their classroom and be comfortable in their role. However, this is also the stage during which most teachers burn out. They become disillusioned with the system, usually due to low pay and lack of respect from superiors or their own students.

How can teachers apply this theory?
Help your students resolve their self-concerns by creating a safe and supportive learning environment.

Focus on the task and the quality of performance by setting clear learning objectives and providing feedback to your students.

Label your concerns as concern for self, concern for task, and concern for impact or student needs.

Be aware of your own concerns and work towards resolving self-concerns in order to focus on the task and the impact on students.

As a trainee teacher, it is important to
understand Fuller's Concerns Theory, which suggests that a teacher's own concerns are the most powerful variable affecting teaching behavior.
understand teachers' feelings and teaching behaviors are closely related, and any deep changes that occur in the teacher's concerns will be reflected in the classroom.

1. FULLER’S
CONCERNS THEORY
Teh Eng Foo

2. Frances Fuller is a researcher of teacher’s education that
creates the Theory of Concerns that highlighting the
perceptions, concerns, dissatisfaction and satisfaction of pre-
service teachers during their teaching training programme. This
theory proposes stages where teachers should progress to
develop through the concerns about self, task, and impact. A
teacher cannot progress to the next stage unless they have
mastered the preceding one.
Introduction

3. Three stages of teacher
profesional development
Self
Task
Impact

4. Concerns
about Self
Self refers to survival in a new workplace, working out their
limits and reflecting introspectively on their own performance -
considering limitations and strengths.

5. Concerns
about Task
Task relates to the performance of their students, and their
duties as a teacher to see the students succeed because of
them and their colleagues.

6. Concerns
about Impact
Impact is the wider social and educational impact that a teacher has on the
school system as a whole. By this stage, a teacher should have command
over their classroom and be comfortable in their role. However, this is also
the stage during which most teachers burn out. They become disillusioned
with the system, usually due to low pay and lack of respect from superiors
or their own students.

7. How can teachers
apply this theory?
Help your students resolve their self-
concerns by creating a safe and
supportive learning environment.
Focus on the task and the quality of
performance by setting clear learning
objectives and providing feedback to your
students.
1
2

8. Label your concerns as concern for self,
concern for task, and concern for
impact or student needs.
Be aware of your own concerns and work
towards resolving self-concerns in order to
focus on the task and the impact on students.
3
4

9. Conclusion
As a trainee teacher, it is important to
understand Fuller's Concerns Theory, which suggests
that a teacher's own concerns are the most powerful
variable affecting teaching behavior.
understand teachers' feelings and teaching behaviors
are closely related, and any deep changes that occur in
the teacher's concerns will be reflected in the
classroom.