How Valid are the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards Assessments for Predicting the Quality of Actual Classroom Teaching and Learning? Results of Six Mini Case Studies

Six mini case studies of teachers certified by the National Board of Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) were completed using systematic classroom observations, individual teacher interviews, and semi-structured individual and focus group interviews with school site administrators and colleague teachers. Classroom teaching practices of six teachers (2 elementary, 2 middle/Jr. High, 2 High School) in a large southeastern urban district were assessed by two trained observers, and semi-structured interviews with school-site personnel were completed by two additional trained researchers. The findings clearly showed considerable variation among these teachers in the quality of teaching and learning in their daily practices. Two teachers were clearly exemplary, two were rather average, and two were considered rather ineffective in the quality of classroom teaching and learning. Interviews with school-site personnel were somewhat mixed in corroborating findings from actual classroom observations and assessments. Implications of the findings for the validity of NBPTS certification in everyday practice, the meaning of NBPTS certification, and policy decisions such as performance-based pay supplements for NBPTS certified teachers are discussed.     

Stress and the deputy head

In recent years Ministries of Education in Canada have developed provincially mandated teacher evaluation policies to ensure the provision of effective classroom instruction to students and the professional growth and development of teachers through the assessment of their performance in the classroom and the quality of their teaching practice. Based on an in‐depth study of teacher evaluation practices in a school jurisdiction in the province of Alberta, the researcher concludes that the policy falls short in meeting these intended objectives for essentially three reasons: (1) teacher evaluation is an externally imposed bureaucratic mandate rather than a requirement that emerges from the professional culture of the school that requires an ongoing review of practice by administrators and teachers; (2) the teacher evaluation process is conducted as a distinct and separate process by school administrators, with little connection to other school and district policies or professional development activities; and (3) despite the intended purpose of the teacher evaluation policy, how it is interpreted and implemented is greatly influenced by the attitudes, values and beliefs of the evaluator (administrator) with regard to what constitutes effective teaching, and the role and purpose of schooling in the community. The researcher discusses alternative approaches to teacher evaluation that focus more directly on instructional improvement and the professional development of teachers.     

Increasing the use of evidence-based strategies by special education teachers: A collaborative approach

This article describes a process developed to increase the use of evidence-based instructional strategies by teachers of students in special education programs in a middle school and high school. The project developed a working partnership between university researchers and parents, teachers and administrators of students in special education programs. The partnership produced manuals for the teachers that outlined effective strategies for teaching reading, encouraging family involvement, providing academic feedback, and engaging in positive behavior support in the classroom. The results of assessing implementation fidelity, implications of the study, and future research issues are presented.     

Teachers designing curriculum as professional development: A model for transformational science teaching

We have designed a model for transformational science teaching focused on linking theory and practice through curriculum decision making that has been the framework for professional development sessions for middle-grade science teachers during the past 5 years. Interviews with teachers revealed that their experiences with curriculum development were of significant value in making decisions concerning the design of classroom environments. As teachers reflected on current research about teaching and learning, in collaboration with university scientists and science educators, they were informed by theoretical perspectives which held implications for their practice. Curriculum development became a vehicle for professional development and school reform; however, it was vital that the teachers were in clear communication with their administrators and communities concerning reform issues. Students and teachers from schools implementing the model and from control sites were interviewed to determine the model's influence on instructional practices and student attitude and achievement in science. The five-phase model for transformational science teaching is discussed here, accompanied by teacher comments about tensions experienced at each phase. This discussion is followed by an analysis of teacher and student interview data that reveals teachers' use of instructional strategies and students' attitudes toward science. Results and analysis of student performance on a mandated end-of-grade science test are also included. From this evidence, we recommend a new design for professional development opportunities for teachers that engages them in decision making as they reflect about the connections between theory and practice and the value of continually testing, revising, and reevaluating curriculum and instructional issues. J Res Sci Teach 34: 773–789, 1997.     

Applying a Cognitive-Affective Model of Conceptual Change to Professional Development

This study evaluated Gregoire’s (2003) Cognitive–Affective Conceptual Change model (CAMCC) for predicting and assessing conceptual change in science teachers engaged in a long-term professional development project set in a large school district in the southwestern United States. A multiple case study method with data from three teacher participants was used to understand the process of integrating and applying a reform message of inquiry based science teaching. Data sources included: responses to example teaching scenarios, reflective essays, lesson plans, classroom observations, and action research projects. Findings show that the CAMCC functioned well in predicting how these teachers made decisions that impacted how they processed the reform message. When the reform message was communicated in such a way as to initiate stress appraisal, conceptual change occurred, producing changes in classroom practice. If the reform message did not initiate stress appraisal, teachers rejected the professional development message and developed heuristic responses. In order to further research and improve practice, propositions for assessments related to the CAMCC are provided.     

Technology enhanced feedback tools as a knowledge management mechanism for supporting professional growth and school reform

Attempts at school reform and improvement have experienced difficulty creating and implementing feedback systems that energize and sustain change efforts. If the call for reform at all levels of education is to be met, attention must be given to establishing effective feedback mechanisms in educational institutions as they embark on improvement efforts. The purpose of this article is to describe application of an educational design metaphor to create a Knowledge Management System that provides teachers with timely and constructive feedback about their professional practice. This system includes the way in which a corpus of professional knowledge about differentiated content and instruction, classroom grouping, evidence-based practice and classroom management can be embedded in a set of tools that provides multiple stakeholders (teachers, students, administrators) the opportunity to generate feedback about instructional practice. Use of the approach is discussed within the broader context of Knowledge Management as a vehicle to extend the role of feedback in school reform and improvement within a long term pilot application in one school.     

Structural and conceptual interweaving of mathematics methods coursework and field practica

This paper describes a study of observed relationships between the design of a preservice elementary mathematics methods course with accompanying field practicum and changes in the extent to which participating prospective teachers identified themselves with the mathematics reform movement after becoming practicing teachers. The curriculum of the course with its embedded field practicum experiences was designed to support prospective teachers in interweaving methods coursework and pedagogical instruction with classroom practice. University and elementary school structures were interwoven by conducting weekly mathematics methods course sessions at a school site followed immediately by related practicum experiences in classrooms in the school. The interweaving of conceptualizations about mathematics teaching and learning was facilitated as the methods instructor provided professional development for classroom teachers simultaneously with the methods course, encouraging the teachers to create “reform-friendly” classroom environments. Survey data from 68 prospective teachers involved in the project were analyzed to identify and describe relationships between course/practicum experiences and the degree to which they as practicing teachers, 1–3 years following the course/practicum, identified with a reform mathematics perspective, as well as to examine factors influencing those relationships.     

The Unseen Digital Divide: Urban,Suburban, and Rural Teacher Use and Perceptions of Web-Based Classroom Technologies

This quantitative study investigated the differences in perceptions and attitudes toward technology integration of K-12 public school teachers in rural, suburban, and urban environments. The purpose was to examine the relationship between frequency of use and perception of effectiveness of web-based learning tools based upon the type of school setting. A survey of 2,200 school teachers in a Mid-Atlantic state revealed significant differences of usage and perceived effectiveness among respondents. The research found teachers from urban schools trailed rural and suburban schools in usage and perception. Suburban schools indicated the highest perceptions of technology effectiveness, followed by their rural peers. Current teachers, administrators, and teacher educators may benefit from this insight to identify the most effective technologies, as well as work focus on improved use of technology, particularly in the urban classroom.     

Using Problem-Centered Learning for Teaching Collaboration in a General Methods Course

Beginning secondary school teachers need support. Although no panacea is available for assuring successful classroom practice, the authors provide suggestions resulting from thirty plus years experience as classroom teachers, school administrators, and university professors. These suggestions focus on classroom management, and they include helping students become academically engaged, organizing instruction to accommodate students' strengths and needs, and motivating students to be interactive during instructional activities. Becoming an effective teacher, however, is a unique journey, and classroom management is only one important factor that can make the journey more successful for both students and teachers.     

Evaluating teacher performance in language learning classes: the gap between students and department administrators

ABSTRACT

Using data from multiple evaluation instruments to evaluate university teachers’ teaching quality has been popular in practice; however, the inconsistency of these evaluation results has not received sufficient attention. This study intended to fill the gap by investigating the main reasons for the discrepancy in teaching performance that resulted from student evaluation surveys and classroom observations of two administrators from the English department in one of the largest universities in Vietnam. Student evaluation surveys (n = 604) suggested that teachers performed better in activities that focused on instructional techniques than when promoting classroom interaction and student engagement. Structural equation models further showed that activities that engaged them in learning and promoted classroom interaction had a strong positive effect on their overall satisfaction with their teachers’ performances. However, interviews with administrators from the department revealed the conflicting finding that they felt that teachers whose teaching performance was less satisfactory should focus primarily on instructional techniques.     

Multiple Sources of Evidence: An Analysis of Stakeholders' Perceptions of Various Indicators of Student Learning

This study compared different stakeholders' perceived validity of various indicators of student learning used to judge the quality of students' academic performance. Data were gathered from the questionnaire responses of 314 educators in three states that have implemented comprehensive state-wide assessment programs with high-stakes consequences both for educators and for students. MANOVA results showed that while educators generally hold similar perceptions, significant differences exist between school administrators and teachers. Administrators perceived the results from nationally normed standardized assessments, state assessments, and district assessments to be more valid indicators of student achievement than did teachers. In contrast, teachers granted more validity to classroom observations and homework completion and quality than did administrators. The implications of these differences for reform initiatives are discussed, particularly with regard to teachers' motivation to improve results.     

小学数学教学中高效课堂的构建

在小学数学教学过程中,教师应该将新课改的政策充分落实到教学中,这样不仅能提高教学质量,也能有效改善课堂学习氛围。而在新课改的背景下,如何构建更加高效的课堂,已经成为小学数学教师不断思考的问题。本文将阐述小学数学教学中高效课堂的构建,希望能为小学数学教师提供有效的参考。     

SCHOOL INTEGRATION and related topics

This five-year study examined the effectiveness of an innovative approach to service-learning embedded in a one year site-based alternative route to teacher certification. The ten-week school-based study investigated the influence of service-learning on the multicultural perceptions, cross-cultural communication skills, and social justice cognizance of future teachers. The study participants consisted of 73 secondary pre-service teacher candidates. Data sources included: participant reflective journals, debriefings and final reports, letters from and discussions with host school service recipients, and investigator interviews and field notes. Study results indicate that service-learning within the time constraints of a one-year alternative route to teacher certification can provide future teachers with insight into the politics of education, increase their interactive proficiency with culturally diverse students, teachers and administrators, raise their level of multicultural consciousness, and augment their educational foundations and content knowledge while connecting theory to classroom practice.     

Developing interactive mathematical talk: investigating student perceptions and accounts of mathematical reasoning in a changing classroom context

In recent years there has been an increased focus on the need for teachers to develop learning communities where all students have opportunities to engage in interactive discourse. However, there are few studies that focus on student perceptions and accounts of mathematical reasoning in classrooms with interactive mathematical talk as a focus of reform. A framework of teacher actions to develop classroom and mathematical practices was developed from classroom observations. Photo-elicitation interviews were used to investigate student perception and accounts of mathematical explanations and reasoning. The professional development programme, shifts in the teacher actions, and subsequent shifts in student perception and their recall of their own and peers’ mathematical reasoning over a school year are highlighted. Developing interactive dialogue in the classroom took considerable time and attention. Facilitating change to the way students both participated and understood their obligations required constant, ongoing attention to both the classroom and mathematical practices.     

‘We can only change in a small way’: A study of secondary English teachers’ implementation of curriculum reform in China

This article reports on a study of English secondary teachers’ perceptions of and implementation of the new English curriculum reform in China. Triangulated data collection methods were employed to gather information about teachers’ perceptions of the new curriculum and their teaching behaviours. Implementation gap emerged between the new curriculum requirements and the teachers’ classroom practices despite the teachers’ common endorsement of the new curriculum goals and pedagogies due to a series of contextual constraints: the considerable professional and psychological challenges to teachers, the students’ resistance, and the lack of support school administrators and most importantly, the backwash effect of the prevalent examination culture. The study suggests the necessity to address teachers’ challenges and difficulties in the curriculum reform process to facilitate their implementation of the reform.     

Whole-School Collaborative Sustained Professional Development and Science Teacher Change: Signs of Progress

The experiences of middle school science teachers at two schools in the southeastern US who participated in collaborative, sustained, whole-school professional development and their implementation of standards-based instructional practices are the focus of this study. Participants were involved in their second year of the professional development experience. The research question that was explored was “How are science teachers implementing standards-based instruction while participating in effective professional development experiences?” Data collected in the form of teacher interviews and classroom observations using an observation protocol. Findings indicate that even with effective professional development, teachers implement standards-based instructional practices at varying levels. The reasons for these differences are discussed and the role of teacher beliefs and the impact of beliefs, experience and support from administrators on professional development efforts are discussed. Implications for future science education reform stakeholders and professional development efforts are revealed.     

Understanding the Induction of a Science Teacher: The Interaction of Identity and Context

The demanding first years of teaching are a time when many teachers leave the teaching profession or discard the reform-minded practice emphasized in teacher preparation. If we are to lessen teacher attrition and more effectively support teachers during their development, a better understanding of what occurs during their induction into the profession is needed. The question that drove this research was what factors influence how a beginning science teacher negotiates entry into teaching? Specifically, we sought to understand how a beginning science teacher’s identities interact with the teaching context; how this interaction shapes his use of reform-minded teaching practice; and how the negotiation of identity, context, and practice influence a novice teacher’s employment decisions. The study involved 2 years of data collection; data included classroom and school observations, questionnaires, interviews, and teaching artifacts (such as lesson plans and assessments). The results demonstrate how conflicts in identities, institutional expectations, and personal dispositions of this novice influenced his transition in becoming a member of his school community. Implications of these interactions for teacher preparation and support are provided.