A number of studies have documented students' misconceptions about key ideas in mathematics and the sciences, their parochial views of history, their tendency to reduce complex literary works to stereotypes, and so on. In response to these challenges, teachers look for ways to help their students develop better understandings. They strive to explain clearly. They look for opportunities to clarify. And researchers were still finding rampant lack of understanding in students.
Several factors appear to be at work.
First, our teacher-collaborators helped us to realize that teaching for understanding is only one of many agendas. Most teachers distribute their effort more or less evenly over that and a number of other objectives. Second, the schools in which teachers work and the tests for which they prepare their students usually offer little support for teaching for understanding. In addressing the first two factors, administrators and teachers need to weigh carefully the importance of teaching for understanding. We firmly believe that understanding deserves special attention.