EFFECTIVE TEACHING:
What can we learn from
research?
Keynote presentation
University of Cyprus
13 April 2013
Professor Pam Sammons
University of Oxford Department of Education
CONTENT OF PRESENTATION
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Definitions of an effective teacher and effective
teaching
The need for Triangulation of evidence
Value added measures – student progress and
outcomes
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Inspection perspective & external evaluation
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Students’ views and experiences
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Research reviews of effectiveness
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Observation of teaching – different measures
THE DEFINITION CHALLENGE
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How should effectiveness be defined?
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Should it be restricted to classroom work only?
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Is it best measured in relation to teachers’ effects on
students’ academic outcomes?
What other educational outcomes should we look at?
A teacher is effective if she/he can accomplish the
planned goals and assigned tasks in accordance with
school goals and those of the broader education
system
. Campbell Kyriakides, Muijs, & Robinson (2004), p.61
EFFECTIVE TEACHING REQUIRES A
CRITERION FOR EFFECTIVENESS
– KEY IDEA
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Refers to the objectives of education in
general and of teaching in particular
‘Visions about the criteria are the result of a
political and societal debate, but educational
professionals, teachers and schools can also take
part in it. Although objectives of education show
changes over time, language, reading and
mathematics remain the core studies’
Creemers (1999) p. 51
UNPACKING EFFECTIVENESS:
Effective in promoting which outcomes?
 Effective over what time period?
 Effective for whom – which student groups?
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A more effective teacher ‘adds value’ to
student outcomes by promoting greater
progress than predicted, given the
influence of student prior attainment and
background
 BUT on their own Value Added measures
should not be used to make high stakes
judgments e.g. about pay or performance due to
statistical uncertainty
THE PERSPECTIVE CHALLENGE
– KEY IDEA
Different sources of information and evidence
about teacher effectiveness and effective
teaching practices – the need for triangulation
of perspectives
Students’ educational outcomes. e.g. progress in
Language, Maths, Science & other academic
measures PLUS social -behaviour & affective
outcomes
 Teachers’ subject and pedagogical knowledge
 Professional judgments e.g. by inspectors
 Observation of teachers’ classroom practices
 Students’ and teachers’ views
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INSPECTION EVIDENCE
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The publication of inspection evidence can provide a
major source of evidence on effective teaching
Informing the practitioners what practices are
considered as most ‘effective’, high ‘quality’ or ‘good’
and the features of ‘unsatisfactory’.
Practices are defined according to professional
judgments of inspectors.
Often provides examples and vignettes to illustrate
effective practice observed by inspectors.
FEATURES OF GOOD TEACHING IN
OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS IN CHALLENGING
CONTEXTS ENGLAND
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Good subject knowledge
Well- structured lessons share a number of key
characteristics (planning & delivery)
The skilful use of well-chosen questions to engage
and challenge learns and to consolidate
understanding (interactions)
Effective assessment for learning and feedback
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(Ofsted, 2009)
EXAMPLE OF INSPECTOR’S COMMENTARY
ON TEACHING AND LEARNING
Lessons at Bartley Green School demonstrate
consistent good practice, evidence of continuing
professional development and rigorous performance
management.
 The rapport between teachers and students is very
positive, the pace is brisk and activities varied; and
students respond promptly to and confidently to
opportunities to collaborate, solve problems and
present ideas to their peers.
 There are clear and non-negotiable expectations
about appropriate behaviour which are calmly and
firmly insisted upon. (Ofsted, 2009)
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AS A SUBJECT TEACHER DO I:
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Have detailed up-to date knowledge of the subjects I
teach?
Maintain my enthusiasm for the subject by being a
learner as well as a teacher?
Clarify my expectations and raise students’
aspirations?
Plan lessons and units of work to ensure continuity
in learning?
Engage pupils’ interest, intellect, creativity?
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Encourage pupils to be exploratory and critical?
Use questioning skilfully to probe and extend pupils’
thinking?
Give pupils sufficient time for reflection?
Recognise ‘practical’ work as integral to learning for
pupils of all abilities?
Mark and assess pupils’ work as helpfully as is
practicable, offering informative feedback?
Self Evaluation questions suggested by Ofsted ( 2009)
PERFORMANCE INDICATORS &
REFLECTIVE QUESTIONS INTENDED TO
PROMOTE BETTER QUALITY OF
TEACHING IN HONG KONG
Performance indicators
Reflective Questions for
Teachers
Teaching Organisation
How do teachers design their
teaching content and adopt
teaching strategies according to
their teaching objectives and
student abilities?
Teaching Process
Are teachers’ communication skills
effective in promoting student
learning?
Feedback and Follow Up
Are teachers able to provide
appropriate feedback to students to
help them improve?
Quality Assurance Division, Education Bureau (2008)
WHAT AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER SHOULD DO
IN HONG KONG
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Adopt a student-centred approach and lucid
teaching objectives, appropriate teaching
strategies and resources to promote class
interaction to enable students construct
knowledge.
Teaching should stimulate thinking, develop
students’ potential and foster their learning
ability. Appropriate values and attitudes are
fostered in the process.
Teachers should extend student learning through
providing life-wide learning opportunities.
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Teachers should cater for the needs of different
learners, offer suitable feedback and enhance their
confidence and interest in learning.
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Schools should strive for student autonomy in the
learning process by encouraging them to actively
engage in sharing, collaboration, and exploration,
thus enabling them to enjoy learning, enhance their
effectiveness in communication and develop their
creativity and sense of commitment.
STUDENTS’ PERCEPTIONS
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KEY QUESTION:
How can the students’ perspectives on effective
teaching be incorporated into the work of schools and
teachers in your educational context?
Example Items from a Questionnaire for Primary Students
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My teacher makes lessons interesting
My teacher is pleased when we work hard
We do a lot of different things in our lessons
My teacher tells us when we’ve done good work
My teacher helps me with my work when I ask for help
I often work too easy in class
My teacher gets the class to behave well
My teacher is always there at the start of lessons
My teacher is not pleased if pupils are late for lessons or school
My teacher tells us when we make mistakes in our work
DISPOSITION FACTORS IN LOWER SECONDARY
Academic self concept in English and Maths
English academic self concept (α=0.90)
• I learn things quickly in my English classes
• I have always done well in my English classes
• Compared to others my age I am good at English
• Work in my English classes is easy for me
• I get good marks in English
Maths academic self concept (α=0.91)
• I learn things quickly in my Maths classes
• I have always done well in my Maths classes
• Compared to others my age I am good at Maths
• Work in my Maths classes is easy for me
• I get good marks in Maths
Two factors based on items taken from existing Academic self concept scales
(Marsh 1990, Marsh & Hau 2003, Marsh & Craven 2006)
α= Cronbach’s Alpha
Disposition factors (Cont.)
Anxiety (α=0.78)
• In class I worry about what the others think of me
• I get a lot of headaches, stomach aches or sickness
• I worry a lot
Popularity (α=0.83)
• I am often unhappy, downhearted or tearful • I make friends easily
• I am nervous in new situations
• Other teenagers want me to be their friend
• I have many fears, I am easily scared
• I have more friends than most other
Citizenship values (α=0.75)
teenagers my age
• Most other teenagers like me
• I am popular with other students in my
students in my age group
• Making sure strong people don’t pick on weak people
• Respecting rules and laws
Enjoyment of school (α=0.74)
• Controlling your temper even when you feel angry • My school is a friendly place
• Respecting other peoples points of view
• On the whole I like being at school
• Sorting out disagreements without fighting
• I like to answer questions in class
• School is a waste of time for me
• I like most of the lessons
• I am bored in lessons
α= Cronbach’s Alpha
STUDENTS’ REPORTS:CLASSROOM FACTORS
Teacher support (α=0.86)
• Most teachers mark & return my homework promptly
• Most teachers make helpful comments on my work
• Teachers praise me when I work hard
• Teachers tell me how to make my work better
• Teachers make me feel confident about my work
• Teachers are available to talk to me privately
• Teachers will help me if I ask for help
• I get rewarded for good behaviour
Teacher discipline (α=0.62)
.53
.58
• Teachers make sure that it is quiet during
lessons
• Teachers make clear how I should behave
• Teachers take action when rules are broken
• Teachers are not bothered if students turn up
late
.44
Emphasis on learning (α=0.68)
• Most students want to do well in exams
• Teachers expect me to do my best
• The lessons are usually ‘challenging’ but ‘do-able’
• Most teachers want me to understand something, not just
memorise it
• Most teachers believe that mistakes
are OKinso
longα=asCronbach’s
we learn Alpha
r >0.50 shown
red
GENERAL PROFILE OF EFFECTIVE
TEACHERS RESEARCH REVIEWS
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Clear about instructional goals
Knowledgeable about curriculum content and the
strategies for teaching it
Communicate to their students what is expected
of them – and why
Make expert use of existing instructional
materials in order to devote more time to
practices that enrich and clarify the content
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Knowledgeable about their students, adapting instruction to
their needs and anticipating misconceptions in their existing
knowledge
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Teach students meta-cognitive strategies and give them
opportunities to master them
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Address higher-as well as lower level cognitive objectives
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Monitor students’ understanding by offering regular
appropriate feedback
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Integrate their instruction with that in other subjects areas
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Accept responsibility for student outcomes
• Porter & Brophy , 1988
INEFFECTIVE CLASSROOM PRACTICES
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Inconsistent approaches to the curriculum and teaching
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Inconsistent expectations for different learners lower for low SES
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An emphasis on supervising and communicating about routines;
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Low levels of teacher-student interactions
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Low levels of student involvement in their work
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Student perceptions of their teachers as not caring, unhelpful, underappreciating the importance of learning and their work
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More frequent use of negative criticisms and feedback
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Stoll & Fink, 1994
THE TEACHING CHARACTERISTICS OF
EFFECTIVE TEACHERS
The fine-grained behaviours of effective teachers in
most reviews of teacher profiles are likely to be
universal, as they appear to be evident in many
different countries Creemers et al. (2002)
 Structuring
 Delivery
 Management
 Interaction
 Focus
 Questioning
 Student involvement
 Emotive and cognitive feedback
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DIRECT APPROACHES & CONSTRUCTIVIST –
NEED FOR BALANCE
The relative utility of direct instruction and
constructivist approaches to teaching and learning
are neither mutually exclusive nor independent. Both
approaches have merit in their own right, provided
that students have the basic knowledge and skills
(best provided initially by direct instruction) before
engagement in ‘rich’ constructivist learning activities.
 The problem arises when constructivist learning
activities precede explicit teaching, or replace it, with
the assumption that students have adequate
knowledge and skills to efficiently and effectively
engage with constructivist learning activities
designed to generate new learning. Rowe (2006)
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RELATIVE SIGNIFICANCE OF TEACHER EFFECTS
Of all the contextual variables that have been studied
to date (indicators of school socioeconomic status,
class size, student variability within classrooms, etc.),
the single largest factor affecting academic
growth of populations of students is differences
in the effectiveness of individual classroom
teachers. When considered simultaneously, the
magnitude of these differences dwarf the other
factors... Also, the effects of teachers appear to be
cumulative. At the extreme, a high-high-high
sequence [of 3-year teacher effects of 5th grade pupils]
resulted in more than a 50 percentile point higher
score in 5th-grade math achievement than the lowlow-low sequence.
(Rowe 2006)
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FEATURES OF AN EFFECTIVE SCHOOL
CULTURE
Three essential ‘core’ conditions which
together create a positive school culture:
professional high quality leadership &
management
 a concentration on teaching and student
learning
 a learning organisation - a school with
staff willing to be learners & participate
in staff development
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The Intelligent School MacGilchrist, Myers & Reed, 1997
EXAMPLE OBSERVATION INSTRUMENTS
Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS)
 3 major domains
 Emotional support
 Classroom organisation
 Instructional supports
International Schedule for Teacher Observation &
Feedback (ISTOF)
 7 theoretical components, 21 indicators 45 items e.g
Component 1 - Assessment & Evaluation
Lesson Observation form for Evaluating the Quality of
Teaching (QoT)
 26 indicators covering 9 Criterion e.g. Criterion - Safe &
orderly climate
KEY FINDINGS EPPE RESEARCH –
YEAR 5 USING THE COS 5 (CLASS)
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Observed significant variation in both teachers’
classroom practice and pupils’ behaviour in class and
distinguished between better and poorer quality in
the educational experiences for Year 5 pupils.
Levels of student engagement were found to be
relatively high and classroom climates were generally
positive. Teacher detachment was generally low and
there was little pupil ‘off task’ behaviour observed.
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Teachers varied in many aspects of their pedagogical
practice and classroom organisation (for example the
teaching of analysis skills and the extent of emphasis on
basic skills) and several important features of observed
practices (e.g. related to classroom climate, smooth
organisational routines etc).
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The quality of teaching and pupil response was found to
be consistently higher in classes where a plenary was
used in both literacy and numeracy lessons and lowest
in classes where no plenary was used in either subject.
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Overall teaching quality (defined by factors in the
analysis) could be identified and teachers identified as
showing mainly high rather than low quality practices
predicted better student progress in both mathematics
and reading
UNDERLYING DIMENSIONS IDENTIFIED
Evaluative Instrument
QoT (van der Grift)
Behavioural
Instrument
ISTOF (Teddlie et al)
 Supportive lesson climate  Clear and coherent lesson
in a supportive learning
climate
 Proactive lesson
management
 Engaging students with
well chosen assignments
and activities
 Well organized lesson
with clear objectives
 Positive classroom
management
 Environmental and
teacher support
 Purposive learning
 Quality of questioning &
feedback for students
GOOD PRACTICE IN CLASSROM
OBSERVATION -KEY IDEA
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To promote improved classroom practice, a relationship of trust
between the observed teacher and the observer is important. The
observer should start by focussing on strong points in a lesson,
then point out any areas for further development .
Criteria for observation should be clear and feedback
constructive and positive. The observed teacher should contribute
to the discussion and comment on the observations
Peer observation can be helpful where teachers take turns to
observe each other teaching and give feedback in turn.
Feedback should be on observed behaviour that the teacher can
change.
After Muijs & Reynolds, 2005
CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE
CLASSROOM PRACTICE – DAY ET AL 2008
SOME GUIDELINES for Evaluation Systems...
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Draw on the knowledge base from effectiveness research on schools,
departments and classroom practice as a guide for key features to
study
Use a range of sources e.g. including value added measures of
student progress, observations of classroom practices, evidence
from student surveys and professional judgments of inspectors
informed by research
Include different education stakeholders in decisions about what is
important to measure
Capture information about teachers’ contributions to student
outcomes that include but also go beyond academic outcomes e.g.
dispositions, engagement, behaviour, citizenship values etc to cover
broader concepts of student well being and achievements
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Foster a collaborative culture of teachers’ professional &
organisational learning in schools
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Encourage self-evaluation & review at all levels (teacher,
department, school)