1 Pratt, D. D. (2005). Teaching (pp. 610-615) In L.M. English (Ed.), International Encyclopedia of Adult Education . New York: Palgrave Macmillan. Entry: Teaching Author: Daniel D. Pratt Assigned Length: 2500 words Length: 2480 Teaching refers to the intentional facilitation of someone’s learning. Although the concept of teaching is relatively unproblematic, the term ‘teaching’ is not. Different regions of the world use different terms to refer to the concept of teaching (Kember, 1997; Pratt, Kelly, Wong, 1999). Anyone who has worked in different countries, especially those that cross linguistic and cultural boundaries of significance, knows the problems that can easily arise from using the wrong word to refer to ‘teaching.’ As a result, there is a rather wide ‘cultural geography’ of related terms, all of which refer to teaching, including: Andragogy, facilitation, instruction, pedagogy, and training. Indoctrination is sometimes included in such a list, but is excluded here. Moving from andragogy to training there is a falling off of the centrality of a philosophy of teaching based upon learners’ prior experience, their immediate needs and the assumption of an egalitarian relationship between teacher and learner. Yet, within every term, from andragogy to training, teaching is assumed to be more than just a technical matter. Teaching requires knowledge of learners, content, curriculum, pedagogy (or andragogy), society and a special form of content knowledge that distinguishes between subject matter experts and teachers of that subject, called ‘pedagogical content knowledge’ (Shulman, 1987). However, it also requires knowledge of self and of the moral aspects of teaching, as will be shown. Three aspects of teaching characterize much of the work in adult education today. One of the aspects is well known; the other two are comparatively new, but increasingly recognized as central to responsible teaching. The three aspects of teaching are: Technical Tools; Personal Styles; and Philosophical Beliefs. Until recently, adult education has been most vocal on the technical aspects and comparatively silent on the other two. Even today, much of the literature is silent on the interactive effects and artful balance of all three aspects of teaching. Yet, it is in the interaction of these three aspects that we find a place from which to better understand paths to effective teaching. Technical Tools Every profession, every craft, has its tools. Whether one is a plumber, surgeon, musician, gardener, lawyer, engineer, nurse or teacher, there are tools that one must learn to use with proficiency. Tools such as a hammer, cello, knife, computer, scissors, or a series of questions used by a teacher, mediate between the worker and the work to be done. It is only through the skillful use of such tools that the work can be done.