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Education & Teaching Multipart Questions
Reginald McKelvin
School of Education, Liberty University
EDUC 848
May 22, 2021
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Part 2: Analysis of Approaches of 2 multicultural approaches, as stated by JA Banks (1990).
JA Banks (1990) explained four approaches to multicultural curriculum reform. The first
approach I have chosen for multicultural Curriculum reform is the Transformative Approach.
The approach allows students to view and analyse issues and themes by interacting with diverse
ethnic perspectives. It focuses on infusing several perspectives from various ethnic groups to
form the greater U.S. Society. The approach recognises the inputs of different ethnic perspectives
that contributed to U.S. society today. I choose this approach because it trains the students to be
culturally competent and understands different cultures and their contribution to the conventional
U.S. society. The approach is also essential as it teaches the students to embrace diverse cultures
contributing to the reduction of racism and discrimination based on different ethnic affiliations.
The second approach is the Decision-Making and Social Action Approach. JA Banks
(1990) explained this approach as an approach requiring the students to engage in decision
making and action taking about the identified problem or issue. The approach notes that students
are given an opportunity to study a problem, analyse the situation vis a vis their values and
beliefs, and develop a course of action to address the identified problem. I choose the approach
because it enhances decision-making skills among the students through empowerment, making
them resilient. Further, the approach also ensures sustainability as the students own up to the
process and take relevant actions to address the identified issues. Decision making and taking
necessary measures to address problems are essential for students as they become better leaders
and change agents.
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Journal Critique on Teacher Turnover
Article Title: The Hidden Costs of Teacher Turnover
Authors: Lucy C. Sorensen and Helen F. Ladd
Sorensen & Ladd (2020) conducted a study on the costs associated with teacher turnover
in North Carolina. The authors gathered information from the North Carolina Education
Research Data Center. The study utilized a longitudinal approach and observation of Math and
ELA teachers in the middle school teaching or charge of Grade 6 to Grade 8. The authors
concluded that teacher turnover has several hidden costs; for instance, it reduces students'
achievements and affects the quality of education in the institution. Another hidden cost is the
disruption of the school's education program, which eventually contributes to poor performance
among the students. Sorensen &Ladd recommends improving working conditions at the school,
having strong leadership at the school, offering differential pay to hard-to-staff schools, having
high-quality induction and mentorship programs for new teachers, and retaining experienced
teachers through shared decision making roles and professional development. The authors
believe that either of these policy recommendations can successfully address teacher turnover if
implemented the right way.
As highlighted in the article, Sorensen & Ladd's (2020) main key points are that teacher
turnover leads to negative consequences on both the school and its students. The teacher turnover
greatly affects the quality of educational services offered by the school. In addition, teacher
turnover significantly contributes to the low and poor achievement of the students. The authors
note that some of the costs or burdens caused by teacher turnover are obvious and can range
from recruiting new teachers and the training costs for the hired teachers. However, there are
other hidden costs (Not so obvious costs) which are the article's focus. These hidden costs are
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related to the quality of the teaching staff and its effects on the students' performance. The article
notes that teacher turnover in schools leaves less experienced teachers at the schools. The
schools may also hire teachers with lesser qualifications, and sometimes the school can operate
over a while without teachers. These effects affect the overall composition of teachers at the
school, which have substantial effects on the school's performance as a whole.
The article further elaborates that some schools are likely to have higher teacher turnover
rates than others. These schools include those serving economically disadvantaged backgrounds,
low academic performers, and those located geographically far from a major TPP. The schools
rely on unlicensed or underqualified teachers to operate and fill the vacant positions left by the
turnover of teachers. The article notes that teacher turnover was lowest during the recession and
pre-recession and post-recession periods. The authors further conducted tests to establish the
relationship between teacher qualification and turnover rates. The tests looked at Teachers for
America (TFA) program teachers who lack formal license vis a vis those who are fully licensed.
The study established no relationship between teacher turnover and teacher qualifications. The
changing composition of teachers due to teacher turnover rates greatly affects students'
performance, leading to poor performance and affecting the overall achievement of students.
I agree with the authors of the article that teacher turnover has many costs. The hidden
costs identified by the authors are real and cause immeasurable damage to the school and the
student's achievement. When a teacher resigns to form a school, the years of experience he/she
has in the school directly correspond to the teacher's relationship with the students. Sudden
turnover of the teacher affects the student's relationship. The process of hiring a new teacher
takes time which may leave students unattended, further affecting them. After the hiring of the
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new teachers, building a relationship with the students also takes time. All these dynamics affect
the students and their achievement in schools.
Further, the quality of education offered goes down considering the time taken to recruit
new teachers and the time is taken for the teachers, the school, and the students to adapt to the
change. Based on these arguments, I agree with the authors that teacher turnover has great
hidden costs to the school and the students. I also agree with the authors that the turnover rates
are higher with schools considered “disadvantaged." These schools serve children from
economically disadvantaged and low academic performers. Most qualified teachers look for
opportunities in better-performing schools located in geographically suited areas and serving
children from well-endowed backgrounds because challenges are lesser in those areas.
At the beginning of my career, I was posted in a school located far North, and the
students hailed from poor backgrounds. There were so many challenges in the school, including
student's poor concentration due to hunger pangs and continued absenteeism of students. These
greatly affected the overall performance of the students and the school. Most of my colleagues
were always looking for job opportunities, and when one was offered one, there were no second
thoughts. They resigned and moved to better schools. The high turnover rates greatly affected the
school and student's achievements. I also managed to leave the school and move to a better
school. The experience at the school resonates with the article on the hidden costs of teacher
turnover. The article by Sorensen & Ladd (2020) is a true reflection on the effects of teacher
turnover on educational institutions and the student's achievements.
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Part 3: Journal Critique on Home Schooling
Article Title: Parental experiences of homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic:
differences between seven European Countries and between children with and without mental
health conditions
Authors: Lisa B. Thorell, Charlotte Skoglund, Almudena Gimenez de la Pena, Dieter Baeyens,
Ansekm B. M. Fuermaier, Madeleine J. Groom, Irene C. Mammarella, Saskia Van Der Oord,
Barbara J. Van den Hoofdakker, Marjolein Luman, Debora Marques de Miranda, Angela F. Y.
Siu, Ricarda Steinmayr, Iman Idrees, Lorrayne Stephane Soares, Matilda Sorlin, Juan Luis
Luque, Ughetta M. Moscardino, Maja Roch, Giulia Crisci & Hanna Christiansen
Thorell et al. (2021) conducted a study to examine the parental experiences of
homeschooling during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study focused on families with or without a
child with a mental health condition from seven European countries, namely the UK, Sweden,
Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, and Italy. The sample consisted of 6,720 parents (2,002
parents with a child with mental health problems and 4,718 parents without a child with mental
health. The study's findings established that there were negative consequences of homeschooling
to both the parents and the children. The negative effects included increased stress levels, social
isolation, domestic conflict, worry, and increased drug and alcohol use among the parents.
Further, the homeschooling was of poor quality and lacked support from the schools.
Analysis based on whether a family has a child with mental health or not and differences
between countries on homeschooling was minimal, indicating overall negative consequences of
homeschooling to all parents across the seven European countries. The authors noted that the
negative effects of homeschooling could, in the long run, contribute to inequalities among
students and families, thus the need to look at homeschooling holistically in the wake of
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continued COVID-19 infections. The study also had some parents reporting positive experiences
with homeschooling.
The key point of the article is the negative consequences brought about by
homeschooling. The article notes that homeschooling was necessitated by the COVID-19
pandemic that forced nations worldwide to issue restrictive measures to curb its spread. The
measures included social distancing and banning of gatherings. Schools have always thrived
through in-class teachings where students gather in a classroom to be taught. However, this is
impossible in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic forcing parents and students to utilize
homeschooling mostly via online studies. The article notes that this homeschooling has
contributed to negative consequences for both parents and children. The consequences are
mostly social, for instance, domestic conflicts.
In addition, most students, especially those hailing from low economic backgrounds,
were not in the position to access homeschooling either due to lack of electronic gadgets or
internet connection. The article notes that homeschooling is encouraged or enhances inequality
among students as those unable to engage in homeschooling fall behind academically. The article
notes that although parents with a child with mental health conditions reported more negative
consequences than parents without, the differences are very minimal, indicating that all parents
and children are affected by homeschooling regardless of their mental health. The results are
similar for the different countries as all parents reported almost similar negative consequences.
Most parents felt that homeschooling was low, and schools provided no support for them and
their children during homeschooling, making it difficult for them. The article notes that parents
with a child with mental health reported positive consequences of homeschooling since it results
in less anxiety because of reduced contact with peers, fewer disturbances, and greater flexibility.
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My thoughts on homeschooling concur with the author's results that, indeed, homeschooling
has a negative consequence on both parents and children. However, the article's authors focused
on the negative consequences, yet homeschooling has positive consequences in equal measures
to negative consequences. The disruption of in-class teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic
ushered in a new era of online education and homeschooling. Online learning and
homeschooling have both negative and positive consequences. Negative consequences include
unequal access to classes due to economic constraints, domestic conflicts, anxiety, low or poor
quality, and less time with the teachers affecting the grasping ability of many students. The
positive effects include reduced time wastage, reduced costs of transportation to school and back,
increased study time, easy access to the classes, and reduced bullying from peers.
I experienced the consequences of homeschooling firsthand as a teacher. It was easy for me
to conduct my classes from the comfort of my home without the hustles of moving from home to
school. There was less time wastage as students concentrated in classes instead of playing and
whispering to peers while in class; however, some of my students missed classes and their grades
dropped significantly. Just as a coin has two sides, homeschooling has both negative and positive
consequences. Stakeholders should explore further to encourage policy formulation that ensures
all students benefit from homeschooling now and in the future. The article provides a very good
base informing on the consequences of homeschooling and its essential for policymakers.
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References
Sorensen, L. C., & Ladd, H. F. (2020). The hidden costs of teacher turnover. AERA Open, 6(1),
2332858420905812. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F2332858420905812
Thorell, L. B., Skoglund, C., de la Peña, A. G., Baeyens, D., Fuermaier, A. B., Groom, M. J., ...
& Christiansen, H. (2021). Parental experiences of homeschooling during the COVID-19
pandemic: Differences between seven European countries and between children with and
without mental health conditions. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 1-13.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00787-020-01706-1
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Part 4: Discussion: Meditate on Psalm 139: 13–18.
Question: What is mastery of content? Is it important, and can the traditional model of education
achieve it?
Discussion
Mastery of content is an education reform or innovation that allows students to learn and
progress forward at their own pace by mastering skills, knowledge, and content differently. It is a
problem-solving model that involves constant analysis of student's performance and develops
content or approach that matches the skills of the students (Asrori, & Tjalla, 2021). It gives
learners more time to read through the educational materials, provide different explanations, and
support the students unconditionally. The approach focuses on making sure a student masters or
fully understands a particular topic before moving forward to the next subject area. Mastery of
content offers differentiated learning to students as it recognizes the differences between
students. Like Gardener's theory of multiple intelligences, mastery of content acknowledges that
individuals have different bits of intelligence. Their levels of learning are different; thus, they
need a different approach to learn and understand concepts (Marenus, 2020).
Mastery of content is essential as it helps students master a specific competence or skill.
Competency and proficiency-based education recognizes the differences between students and
encourages mastery of particular skills and competencies. Students are allowed to master content
at their pace, surrounded by support from teachers. The mastery of content learning is based on
Psalms 139:13-18 that notes that all human beings are created fearfully and wonderfully, and
each of them is unique in one way or the other (King James Version online, 2021). Mastery
learning recognizes the uniqueness of each individual and the need for an individualized form of
learning to ensure the learning needs of each learner is achieved.
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Mastery of content is crucial because it helps students obtain mastery in a given area of
study before moving to the next. It is based on the premise that every student has the potential to
reach the highest form of achievement if given a chance and sufficient instructions and support
(Guskey, 2007). The students are allowed to learn content at their own pace creating a sense of
commitment and independence. It is an excellent way of enhancing positive attitudes towards
learning and encouraging a lifelong culture of learning and studying. For instance, Guskey
(2007) established that the average scores of students utilizing mastery learning were 84% which
was way above students in a traditional education system of standardized instructions.
It is different from the old education system, where all students were taught in groups, the
same content at the same time. The old education system equalized or standardized education by
ensuring that all students go through the same teaching method and do standardized exams to test
their skills. The standardization of the education system, curriculum, and tests assumed that all
individuals are the same and their intelligence levels are the same, which is a fallacy. Traditional
or old-fashioned education instructions that thrive in standardized curriculum do not produce
creative and critical thinkers or productive citizens (Sparapani & Perez, 2015). Based on this
premise, I argue for mastery of content and against the traditional education model. The benefits
of mastery of content out ways the cost and time implication of its achievement. Further, the
conventional education method causes more harm than good to the students, which Mastery of
Content can rectify.
The old traditional model of education cannot be able to achieve mastery of content. The
conventional education system is based on a standardized curriculum, standardized learning,
standardized assessments, and standardized expectations. The traditional education method
assumes that all students have the same intelligence levels, and their knowledge should be
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similar. The education content is delivered the same way to all students. It fails to recognize the
differences and uniqueness of every individual student. This form of education provides a one-
size-fits-all curriculum and system of learning, which inhibits creativity and limits an individual's
capabilities (Sparapani & Perez, 2015). Mastery learning requires an overhaul of the education
system regarding how students learn, how the school operates, and how teachers teach the
students. Content mastery involves transforming the curriculum, assessment revolution, an
overall change in how teachers are trained.
The traditional method of education involves having a lot of students in a classroom. The
teacher teaches these students a lesson after the other. The students are on the same schedule and
are expected to take similar tests to test their mastery of the classes or courses taught. The testing
methods do not consider other factors that may affect mastery of the subject, for instance, health
problems among the student or absenteeism caused due to lack of school or tuition fees.
Regardless of the challenges they face in life, all students are expected to go through the same
standardized tests. Although this form of education is easier to manage and follow up on the
students' progress, it limits students' ability to explore other intelligence and talents or skills that
learners cannot achieve through the traditional standardized form of learning.
Further feelings of failure, bad grades, and feelings of getting lost cause untold sufferings
and disengagement from the school (Sparapani & Perez, 2015). The eventual consequences are
low self-esteem and high levels of absenteeism, and dropping out of school. Content Mastery
purposes of changing the narrative of the traditional education system by allowing students to
learn at their pace and utilize their bits of intelligence. Mastery of content encourages
personalized education where parents and education institutions invest in more tutors and
different worksheets and lesson plans for every student (Lister, J. 2019). Governments should
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overhaul the education system in the entire globe by changing the curriculum, testing students,
how teachers are trained, and the teaching methods. The whole education system should embrace
and implement mastery of content for the benefit of the students and the entire globe.
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References
Asrori, M., & Tjalla, A. (2021). The Content Mastery Service Using KWL Teaching Model to
Improve Students’ Ability to Understand Texts in Junior High Schools. American
Journal of Educational Research, 9(1), 11-19.
http://article.scieducationalresearch.com/pdf/EDUCATION-9-1-2.pdf
Guskey, T. R. (2007). Closing achievement gaps: revisiting Benjamin S. Bloom's "Learning for
Mastery." Journal of advanced academics, 19(1), 8-31. https://doi.org/10.4219%2Fjaa-
2007-704
King James Bible Online. (2021). OFFICIAL KING JAMES BIBLE
ONLINE. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/
Lister, J. (2019, April 1). Why mastery learning is the most important part of personalizing
education. HundrED. https://hundred.org/en/articles/why-mastery-learning-is-the-most-
important-part-of-personalizing-education#f0aaa5fe
Marenus, M. (2020, June 09). Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences. Simply Psychology.
https://www.simplypsychology.org/multiple-intelligences.html
Sparapani, E. F., & Perez, D. M. C. (2015). A perspective on the standardized curriculum and its
effect on teaching and learning. Journal of Education & Social Policy, 2(5), 78-87.
http://jespnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_5_December_2015/11.pdf
