
Teachers are one of the key elements in any school and effective teaching is one of the key propellers for school improvement. This review is concerned with how to define a teacher's effectiveness and what makes an effective teacher. It draws out implications for policymakers in education and for improving classroom practice. Teacher effectiveness is generally referred to in terms of a focus on student outcomes and the teacher behaviours and classroom processes that promote better student outcomes. This review, based upon research evidence, suggests that effective teachers: (1) are clear about instructional goals; (2) are knowledgeable about curriculum content and the strategies for teaching it; (3) communicate to their students what is expected of them, and why; (4) make expert use of existing instructional materials in order to devote more time to practices that enrich and clarify the content; (5) are knowledgeable about their students, adapting instruction to their needs and anticipating misconceptions in their existing knowledge; (6) teach students meta-cognitive strategies and give them opportunities to master them; (7) address higher- as well as lower-level cognitive objectives; (8) monitor students' understanding by offering regular appropriate feedback; (9) integrate their instruction with that in other subject areas; and (10) accept responsibility for student outcomes. The review shows that in order to achieve good teaching, good subject knowledge is a prerequisite. Also, the skilful use of well-chosen questions to engage and challenge learners, and to consolidate understanding, is an important feature, as is the effective use of assessment for learning. It goes on to identify a number of characteristics of good schools, suggesting they: (1) establish consistency in teaching and learning across the organisation; (2) engender a culture of professional debate and developmental lesson observation; (3) rigorously monitor and evaluate what they are doing; (4) pr
Page Count:
51
Publication Date:
2013-01-01
ISBN-10:
190749667X
ISBN-13:
9781907496677
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