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TopicOverviewWeek2-EffectiveTeaching-online.pdf
EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
Week.2: Effective Teaching
Topic goals:
Study different models relating to an effective teacher
Develop critical analysis about the attributes of an effective teacher
Forum:
Identify the characteristics of an effective teacher and support your arguments using some references sources and
examples. Watch the video and provide an assessment on the
teaching process and explain if it can be considered as effective teaching or not.
Task:
Choose an article for critical review and send the title to your tutor.
EDU734: Teaching and Learning Environment Page 1
EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
2. What are the attributes of an effective teacher?
2.1 The role model (1900-1930)
• An effective teacher was a person – an exemplar- who responds to the rules of the community as a good citizen, a good parent and a good professional.
• The teacher had to be honest, hardworking, friendly, generous and polite.
Also they had to present these attributes in the classroom. Additional they
had to demonstrate these attributes in the classroom by being strict,
organized, disciplined, visionary and committed (Borich, 1992).
2.2.Presage- process -product studies (1930s-1940s)
These studies discriminated three variables:
1. The presage variable : the formative experience of the teacher (experinece prior to entering the classroom) .
2. The process variables: related with actions that occurred in the classroom, i.e. activities of the teacher and the students, were called process variables.
3. The product variables were the outcomes that most often related to the progress ‘ results of the implementation of the process
4. At this period of time the studies attempted to identify the psychological characteristics for effective teaching. Finally they presented some characteristic which affects the teacher’s effectiveness like personality traits (e.g. tolerance, dogmatism, openness), attitude (e.g. motivation for teaching empathy towards children, dedication), experience (e.g. years of teaching experience, experience in this class) and finally skill / performance (e.g. professional references from students reviews).
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
2.3.Experimental Studies (in the middle of ages 1940-1960)
Experimental studies were popular during the 1940s through the 1960s.
• They attempted to investigate the effect of specific teaching methods in students' performance.
In the period 1950-1960 there is a concern:
• for creating a good climate in the classroom
• for development of teaching skills which would be able to promote
learning performance.
They tried to examine the contribution of different teaching styles such as formal and informal and progressive and traditional.
2.4. Studies «Process –Product» (1960-1980)
These studies led to the identification of a range of behaviors-factors that are positively associated with the students’ performance (Doyle, 1986; Brophy & Good, 1986; Reynolds et al, 1996; Evertson & Anderson, 1980; Muijis & Reynolds, 1999). Some of them support that an important factor in determining student learning is the teacher.
2.4.1. Conclusions for the model of Process-Product
a) Quantity and teaching styles
• The students’ learning quantity is related to learning opportunity • The students’ performance can be maximized when the teacher:
• takes teaching consideration as an important part of his/her role
• expects his students to achieve their goals of the curriculum
program
• gives specific time to activities related to curriculum program. (Brophy & Everston, 1976)
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
b) Compatible success (business relevance)
• It is an important factor associated with student performance.
• The effective learning requires students to be engaged in appropriate activities; where their level of difficulty takes into account students’ current performance levels and needs (Stalling, 1985).
• There is a contradiction between the aim of maximizing the
completion of the curriculum’s content using a quick teaching pace and
the need to teach in a slow pace in order to give students the
opportunity to learn without discomfort.
c) Learning climate
• Effective teachers are expected to organize and manage the classroom environment as an effective learning environment and therefore to maximize the degree of participation (Creemers & Reezigt, 1996).
• Key indicators for an effective classroom management are:
o Appropriate classroom preparation and setting of rules and processes to be followed at the beginning of the year
o Smoothness and teaching pace
o Consistent procedures for accountability
o Clarity on the instances and ways students receive assistance and on the options that are available when finishing their work.
d) The process of teaching itself
• Students achieve more when they are taught or supervised by teachers than when working alone (Broophy & Good, 1986).
• The investigation for classroom speech: the teachers’ speech has to be more academic than administrative or procedural, and has to include
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
more questions and to provide feedback despite of being a consecutive lecture (Cazden, 1986).
f) Questions
• Effective teachers are asking many questions and try to involve
all students in the discussion.
• They must also include a combination of result questions – product questions and process questions (Everston et al, 1980; Askew & William, 1995).
g) Provide feedback
• An effective teacher provides a constructive feedback. He/ she should
avoid using the feedback to punish or to criticize the performance of the student. His/Her purpose is to help the student and to facilitate their learning in order to succeed.
• Helps students to realize their obstacles and find ways to overcome them.
h) Clarity of presentation
The effective teachers are able to:
• Communicate clearly and directly- use of appropriated verbal language. Through this verbal and nonverbal expression they confirm all the students that are accepted. Avoid using negative words.
• Maintain students’ attention in the subject-use of strategies for keeping students’ attention. For example, he/she used multiple sources to present a subject. She tried to use activities related with the students learning styles. He/she avoided using seatwork for a long time.
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
• Speak according to students’ level in order to support their understanding (Smith & Land, 1981). The teacher use appropriate tone and vocabulary for the intended audience.
2.5. The dynamic model of educational effectiveness (Creemers and Kyriakides, 2008)
• It is not based only on traditional views on learning and instruction : the role of the teacher is not only to provide knowledge and skills
• It takes into consideration new ideas on learning and instruction
related with constuctivism: promotes independent learning and the
construction of knowledge by learning. For this reason the teacher’s
role moves from instruction to coaching and modeling the learning.
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
Diagram 1: Model of teaching effectiveness (Kyriakides & Creemers, 2008).
• As it is shown, the model gives more emphasis on the teaching and the
learning and the roles of teacher and student. Also it gives attention at
the school level factors which influence the teaching and learning
though school policy on teaching and on the creating learning
environment.
• The final level of the model refers to the educational system and its
influence through developing and evaluating the educational policy at
the national and regional level. Furthermore it underlines the
importance of the values of society for learning and the importance
attached to educational play an important role both in shaping the
teacher and student expectations as well as in the development of the
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
perceptions of various stakeholders about effective teaching practice (Creemers, & Kyriakides, 2008,page 8).
• The model supports the factors at the school and context level have
both direct and indirect effects on student performance. This can be
attributed to the fact that the school and the context influence not
only student achievement but also the teaching and learning
situations.
2.6 Assessment models for teacher’s efficiency
• The contemporary schools are expected to perform a range of
functions to meet the rapid changes occurring in individuals,
communities, societies and international relations (Cheng, 1995).
• Consequently, teachers are expected to take enlarged roles and responsibilities
Which are the roles that the teacher has to take?
• All these roles indicate that the traditional perception for the teacher’s
effectiveness, which focuses on teaching performance of each teacher
in the classroom, has limitations and cannot meet the needs of the
school environment.
• There is an urgent need to understand the complex nature of the
teacher’s effectiveness and to develop a multi-model approach to
evaluate his/her effectiveness.
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EDU734: Teaching and
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a) Goal and task model
• The teacher’s effectiveness is defined by the degree of achievement of
the teaching plans, the objectives and goals satisfaction (e.g. meet
learning objectives, student achievement, etc.).
• This model is useful if:
o The aims and objectives which are assigned to teachers are clear and specific
o The results of the teacher’s performance can be seen and easily evaluated and
o There are the necessary resources / sources / materials to achieve the objectives
b) Resource Utilization model
• Teachers are expected to satisfy different goals in limited time, so the
resources and support provided are important factors to facilitate their
work.
• But because resources are usually limited, teachers are considered
effective if they can maximize the use of resources and of the support
provided and at the same time if they have the ability to find new
sources.
c) Working process model
• This model suggests that effective teaching helps the teacher
implement the pre-designed teaching objectives, which are measured
by the level and the students' achievements.
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
• Therefore, in this model the teacher is considered to be effective when he/she can ensure the quality of teaching (teaching effectiveness).
• This model is useful when there is a clear relationship between
educational processes and methods used by the teacher with the
results of the education process; and therefore it is necessary to
establish standards for the teaching evaluation.
d) The school constituencies satisfaction model
• In this model the perception of quality is closely linked to the
satisfaction of customer needs and expectations of those involved in
the educational process (e.g. students, parents, director, inspector,
heads of the Ministry of Education)
• Teachers are considered effective when stakeholders are satisfied with their performance.
e) Accountability model
• This model is based on the development of educational
accountability’s mechanisms and on the control of his/her action as a
professional.
• Due to the high investment in education there is a need for schools
and teachers to be accountable towards students, parents and other
stakeholders ("worth for money")
• It is necessary for the teacher to be able to provide information on the
"progress" of teaching, decision-making and consequences of the acts
of the students’ learning outcomes.
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
f) The absence of problems model
• The teacher’s effectiveness is defined in relation to the absence of
weakness and problematic behavior during his/her performance of
his/her duties.
• Therefore, an effective teacher can be considered any one that can
meet the minimum of requirements and he/she does not present
problems or deficiencies in his/her daily educational activities.
g) The continuous learning model
• This model considers that the changes in the educational environment
are inevitable and therefore the teacher is effective when he/she can
be adapted to them and be improved (Fullan, 1993; Fullan &
Hargreaves, 1991).
• So the evaluation of teaching is based on the efforts for continuous
improvement and adaptation to the ever changing educational
environment.
• Teacher’s effectiveness
• The above models suggest the need for multi-dimensional aspect for
the concept of the teacher’s effectiveness and the development of
specialized models for the evaluation of each role.
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
2.5 Task – Forum
Forum 1
• Please list 4 characteristics of an effective teacher. Support your arguments using some referencing sources and examples from your professional experience.
Forum 2
• After watching this video
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/3rd-grade-graphing- lesson provide an assessment about teaching and explain if it can be considered as effective teaching or not.
Task 1
• Choose an article for critical review and send the title to your tutor.
EDU734: Teaching and Learning Environment Page 12
EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
References:
• Askew, M. and William, D. (1995) Recent Research in Mathematics Education. London: OFSTED.
• Borich, g. (1992) Effective teaching methods. Second edition, New York: Merrill.
• Brophy, J., & Evertson, C. (1976). Learning from teaching: A
developmental perspective. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
• Brophy, J. E. & Good, T.L. (1986). Teacher Behaviour and Student
Achievement. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of Research on Teaching (pp. 328-375). New York: MacMillan: 328-375.
• Cazden, C.B. (1986). Classroom Discourse. In M. C. Wittrock
(Ed.) Handbook of Research on Teaching (pp. 432-463). New York: MacMillan.
• Cheng, Y.C. (1995) Function and effectiveness of education (3rd edn).
Hong Kong: Wide Angle Press
• Creemers, B.P.M., & Reezigt, G. (1996). School level conditions affecting the effectiveness of instruction. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 7(3), 197-228.
• Doyle, W. (1986). Classroom Organisation and Management. In M.
C. Wittrock (ed.) Handbook of Research on Teaching (pp. 392-431). New York: MacMillan
• Evertson, C. M. & Anderson, C.W. et al. (1980). Relationships
Between Classroom Behaviours and Student Outcomes in Junior High Mathematics and English Classes. American Educational Research Journal 17(1), 43-60.
• Fullan, M. (1993). Change Forces: Probing the Depths of Educational
Reform. London: Falmer Press.
• Fullan, M., and A. Hargreaves. (1991). What's Worth Fighting for in
Your School? Toronto: Ontario Public School Teachers' Federation; Andover, Mass.: The Network; Buckingham, U.K.: Open University
Press; Melbourne: Australian Council of Educational Administration
• Creemers, B.P.M. & Kyriakides, L. (2008) A theoretical based approach to educational improvement. In: Bos, W.,Holtappels, H.G..
Pfeiffer, H.,Rolff, H.G.& Schulz- Zander, R.(ed) Jahrbuch der
Schulentwicklung, Band 15, pp.41-61 Weinheim/ München, Juventa.
• Kyriakides, L. & Creemers, B.P.M. (2008). Using a multidimensional approach to measure the impact of classroom level factors upon
student achievement: a study testing the validity of the dynamic model. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 19(2), 183-306.
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EDU734: Teaching and
Learning Environment
• Kyriakides, L., & Creemers, B.P. (2009). The effects of teacher factors on different outcomes: two studies testing the validity of the dynamic model. Effective Education, 1 (1), 61-85.
• Muijs, R. D., Reynolds, D. (1999). School Effectiveness and Teacher
Effectiveness: Some Preliminary Findings from the Evaluation of the Mathematics Enhancement Programme. Presented at the American Educational Research Association Conference, Montreal.
• Reynolds, D & Farrell, S. (1996). Worlds Apart? – A Review of
International Studies of Educational Achievement Involving England. London: HMSO.
• Smith L & Land M (1981) Low inference verbal behaviours related to teacher clarity, Journal of Classroom Interaction, 17(1), 37- 42.
• Stallings, J. (1985). Effective elementary classroom practices. In: M.J. Kyle (Ed.),
Reaching for excellence. An effective schools sourcebook. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office.
• Teddlie, C., & Reynolds, D. (2000). The international handbook
of school effectiveness research. London: Falmer Press.
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