The NAATE program assumes that the most experienced teachers bring a wealth of practical knowledge to their work and are well positioned to examine deeper issues surrounding their practice.

The Case-Study Method

The core NAATE pedagogy is the case-study method of instruction used extensively to train doctors, lawyers, journalists, and other professionals, but rarely used in the classroom teaching profession. A case study is a written description of a realistic situation encountered by professionals used to stimulate classroom discussion. Cases are typically centered on a protagonist searching for possible solutions to the problems represented in the case, often with no clear-cut or "right�� answer. In facilitated case discussions, participants uncover a range of potential solutions and through deep analysis, peer-to-peer discourse and civil debate, they exercise inductive reasoning skills to draw broader implications. This form of inquiry-based learning is well suited to the needs and capacity of top-tier professionals.