JOURNAL OF ADVANCED
RESEARCH AND STABILITY (JARS)
Volume: 01 Issue: 06 | 2021
ISSN: 2181-2608
590
Introduction
Classroom instructional quality (and its relationship to learning outcomes) can serve as a critical lever
for educational change. However, there is much still to be learned about what
actually goes on inside
classrooms, particularly in low- and middle-income countries . Though an abundance of observational
instruments now exist, most have not undergone rigorous methodological development, and even fewer
have been used across different contexts, cultures, and interventions . Many of these observational
instruments have taken the form of checklists or time on task measures, which have traditionally been
more popular for their cost-effectiveness and ease of use for intervention studies. Nevertheless, a recent
comparative study of observational instruments states that time on task measures are too coarse to be
used for teacher feedback or performance evaluation. Furthermore, time on task measures are unable to
distinguish key aspects of the 21st-century classroom environment
such as student engagement, the
effective use of instructional strategies, or the emotional factors that support child development . Thus,
it follows that there is a need to turn away from checklists and time on task measures. Global interest in
how teaching practices and classroom processes affect student learning outcomes and their
psychosocial development is growing
–
and with good reason. Instructional quality has proven to be
more strongly associated with child learning than structural aspects of
schools in both Western and
developing countries. However, the breath of skills required for quality student learning, and
concomitantly quality teaching, call for essential competencies and skills beyond literacy and
numeracy, otherwise known as 21st-century skills. In public debates on the
quality of education and
teaching and learning, a voice that equates ‘teaching to speak’ and ‘listening to learning’ predominates.
Unfortunately, such a superficial view limits the deeper understanding of what really involves quality
pedagogy and hides the knowledge and ability of professional teachers. For a casual observer, training
may seem simple, but the truth is, it’s a very complex and complex business. The quality of teaching
and learning can be seen in the use of a teacher’s knowledge, skills and abilit
ies to shape meaningful
pedagogical experiences for students. Such experiences are most evident when teaching affects
learning and when learning affects teaching. This dynamic relationship
is in stark contrast to single,
one-
sided events such as “telling” and “listening”. It’s interesting how highly valued theories of
learning are while, in contrast, the practice of teaching is perceived
as relatively simple and
straightforward. But if quality in teaching is about creating powerful learning, then clearly a teacher has
to know about, and be able to apply, learning theories in ways that purposefully shape their teaching.
How that knowledge of learning influences that which teachers know and are able to do is briefly
illustrated below. In so doing, it also highlights the complexity of the work
of teaching in ways not
commonly discussed, and shows the sophisticated nature of teachers’ professional knowledge and the
expertise they must develop to be skilful, articulate and capable educators. Self-help and self-
imp
rovement books aren’t simply for those seeking financial success or a more fulfilling love life. The
genre now extends to those who want to improve their teaching. The internet teems with articles that
describe three steps,
five ways, seven keys and 50 strategies to improve your teaching. Much as the
self-improvement literature can be boiled down to a few simple rules --
“take one step at a time,”
“adjust
your habits,” “alter your mind
-
set,” realize that “struggle is good”
-- ditto for advice about
teaching.