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Evaluating Impact - Education Research Paper No. 35, 1999, 262 p.
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5.1 Helping teachers to develop
competence criteria for evaluating their professional development
5.2 Combining the teaching of research
methods with an assessment of project impact
5.1 Helping teachers to develop
competence criteria for evaluating their professional developmentAlan Peacock
School of Education
University of Exeter
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Alan Peacock's paper discusses ways of helping teachers
to develop competence criteria for evaluating their professional development. He
discusses interventions in South Africa and Sri Lanka in which teachers
collaboratively developed competence criteria for evaluating their professional
development and improving their performance. He elucidates various stages of the
process through which detailed sets of criteria are developed. In the final
stage outlined in this paper, he shows how the training is put to practice in
their classroom situation. He argues that the reflection underlying this process
enabled teachers to become aware of the need to establish levels of achievement
in any given skill area. In practice this means that teachers are given the
responsibility to develop their own competence, and this has a number of
positive spin-offs for teaching practice. The paper includes details about
teaching and skills indicators which have been developed by teachers, as well as
an observation schedule which is used for monitoring the progress of
teaching.
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1 IntroductionThe paper draws from our experience in three current projects
which are supported by the University of Exeter School of Education. These
are: 
· The Primary
Science Programme in Madadeni District, Kwazulu-Natal, South
Africa1· The Sri Pada College of
Education Project, in Sri Lanka2 · The Limpopo School
Empowerment Project, in the Tshakuma District, Northern Province, South
Africa3 In each of the above projects, the primary aim was to enhance
the capacity of teachers (or teacher trainers) to evaluate their performance
through the development of criteria of effectiveness or competence. The
underlying rationale for participation in each of the three projects relates to
notions of transfer of responsibility, empowerment, collaboration, relevance and
communicative effectiveness (Fullan 1989; Dalin 1994; Shaeffer 1994; Good &
Brophy 1995; Showers & Joyce 1996). Over the past seven years, Exeter in
partnership with local teachers, developed sets of criteria of teaching
competence. The criteria which we developed collaboratively reflect
teachers' competencies in the following areas: · Planning
· Communicating
· Managing
· Evaluating Detailed criteria, calibrated into four levels of
competencies, were generated for each of the above-mentioned areas. The four
levels of competence coincide with the four stages of the initial training of
teachers. The following is a summary of The Dimensions of Teaching from
the University of Exeter (1997).
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The Dimensions of Teaching
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Dimension
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Level 1
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Level 2
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Level 3
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Level 4
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Planning
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Plans episodes for a group showing · aims for learning · organisation · relevant subject
knowledge · teacher's role
· resources.
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Plan lessons for a class, showing · clear appropriate aims and
expectations for learning · appropriate subject matter
knowledge, related to the National Curriculum (N C) programmes of
study · means of
differentiation · practical organisation for
teaching and learning · deployment of
resources
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Plan a short programme of work for a class,
showing: · clear objectives and content
which is appropriate to the subject and the pupils · interesting and challenging
tasks, including homework where appropriate · clear targets, building on
prior attainment (by using assessment data) · clear differentiation, with
identification of pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) · attention to cross-curricular
skills, and pupils' broader development · an appropriate use of the
whole class groups and individual teaching · detailed attention to own
progress as a teacher.
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Plan schemes of work for a class, showing: · a balanced development of
children's knowledge, understanding and skills · assessment
strategies · imaginative activities and
resources · a clear relation to developing
class ethos · attention to own developing
practice.
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Communicating
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(a) Demonstration and instruction
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· Attract children's interest
and attention. · Give clear, audible
instructions. · Inform, describe and
explain.
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· Sustain children's
attention. · Demonstrate skills and
processes clearly. · Inform, describe & explain
with clarity and coherence. · Ask question to focus
attention. · Convey interest and
enthusiasm. · Adapt instruction to pupils'
understanding and engagement.
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· Ensure engagement and
participation with good pacing of lessons. · Demonstrate with clear
commentary. · Show good awareness of
audience. Summarise clearly and concisely, emphasising key ideas. · Use effective questioning to
ensure participation. · Use appropriate
vocabulary.
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· Choose concepts and examples
strategically (with a deep knowledge of subject matter and children's interests
and understanding in mind). · Communication so as to inspire
pupils' interest in subject.
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(b) Interaction
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· Engage in
interaction. · Listen and respond
sympathetically. · Check understanding via
questions.
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Interact and question so as to: · listen carefully to
pupils · focus pupils' ideas · sustain their
thinking · prompt them to check
errors · respond to individual
differences
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Mediate learning through discussion so as to: · help to remedy pupils'
misconceptions · stimulate intellectual
curiosity · explore ideas, giving
attention to pupils' boarder development · prompt reasoning and
argument · relate learning to authentic
and work related examples.
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· Foster democratic procedures
and rational discussion. · Chair discussions effectively
whilst remaining neutral. · Show sensitivity and judgement
about contentious issues. · Defend individuals from unfair
peer pressures.
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(c) Facilitation
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· Monitor practice tasks,
checking accuracy and providing help.
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Initiate some independent practice and
problem-solving. · Provide feedback to support
independent learning. · Exploit opportunities to
improve basic skills and study skills.
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· Encourage some autonomy in
pupil choices of the means of ends of learning. · Facilitate knowledge use in
pupil-led investigation. · Facilitate pupils' individual
and collaborative study skills.
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· Promote authentic activities
and the development of autonomous learning. · Facilitates pupils'
independent attempts at research.
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Managing
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(a) Managing order
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· Operate established procedures
for order with a group. · Attempt to sustain purposeful
work. · Deal with minor
misbehaviours.
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· Communicate assertively to
gain attention. · Maintaining a good working
atmosphere. · Operate a framework of rules
consistently. · Give due attention to issues
of safety and pupil welfare. · Signal and manage transitions
effectively. · Draw on support where
appropriate.
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· Manage and sustain a flow of
work and activities effectively. · Detect problems of order early
meet them with firmness. · Set and maintain agreed rules
and values. · Set high expectations for
pupils' behaviour. · Attempt to assimilate
difficult children.
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· Maintain and improve order by
purposeful work and shared values. · Involve children appropriately
in taking responsibility. · Work systematically with
difficult children to improve their learning and adjustment to life in
school.
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(b) Managing resources
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· Provide and manage materials
for a group. · Display work (after
advice). · Organise tidying of the
classroom.
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· Provide appropriate resources
for lessons. · Managing the distribution and
collection of materials effectively. · Display pupils' work
effectively. · Ensure care of resources and
safe environment. · Arrange appropriate
seating. · Make use of visual
aids. · Make effective use of
time.
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· Select and make good use of
textbooks, IT and other learning resources. · Work or improving the learning
environment. · Use displays to stimulate
learning. · Manage own and pupils use of
time effectively. · Use adult assistants
effectively.
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· Develop and experiment with
new resources. · Design, produce and use novel
curriculum materials. · Sustain long-term resourcing
for class, or subject. · Encourage pupils to manage
resources independently. · Develop the effectiveness of
adult assistants.
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Evaluating
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· Show awareness of children's
engagement work. · Mark children's work (with
advice). · Write summary evaluations of
episodes of teaching.
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· Assess work in relation to
objectives and NC (with help). · Use observations and
questioning to asses understanding. · Diagnose problems and provide
feedback. · Relate assessment to future
planning and teaching. · Keep records of pupils'
work. · Write evaluation using, for
example, agendas, conferences and university based-work.
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· Use a variety of formal and
informal assessment techniques. · Mark and monitor pupils' class
and homework. · Provide constructive feedback
and set targets. · Assess and record each pupil's
progress systematically, using NC levels, school records and comparative data to
inform planning and teaching. · Be familiar with statutory
assessment and reporting requirements. · Know how to prepare and
present reports to parents. · Identify and assess SEN in
line with relevant codes of practice. · Demonstrate awareness of own
development as a teacher.
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· Consider alternative analyses
of teaching and learning. · Assess pupils' progress
critically and effectively. · Take part in staff development
programmes. · Undertake research in to own
professional practice. · Develop own theoretical and
practical ideas.
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2 Stages in developing competence criteriaThe process through which the The Dimensions of Teaching
went was a lengthy one and it took several years and numerous trial versions
before a pro forma which satisfied all partners in the process was agreed
upon.4 In each case, teachers participated in the generation of the
criteria. They engaged in a process which was characterised by the following
four stages:
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1. Identification
Participants identified their perceived needs or the
competencies which related to their required roles. The participants in this
stage included teachers, teacher trainers, and leader teachers.
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2. Categorisation
Participants categorised or classified identified criteria for
evaluation under specific category headings.
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3. Revision
Participants refined criteria in order to ensure that they
would be utilisable when incorporated into the instrument or working tool. This
is done by · making statements
operationalisable
· identifying relevant
evidence
· categorising and
establishing levels of competence. |
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4. Utilisation
Participants evaluated tools within an ongoing programme of
classroom support.
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The first three stages of this process of development are
conducted in the early stages of a project, usually during workshop sessions in
which all teachers, trainers and leader teachers participate. We realised that
it would be far more cost effective for us merely to present the Exeter
Dimensions of teaching as a model or template. If we had done that we
could have (by eliminating the first three stages) shortened the time which
teachers need to generate their own criteria. While this would certainly have
allowed Exeter to capitalise on the effort and expense which went into their
original development, it would not have permitted teachers to generate (and
therefore 'own') those competencies which are relevant to their own distinctive
cultural/pedagogical contexts. The 'handing down' of externally developed
criteria would deny teachers the opportunity to participate. in the stages which
are necessary for their own professional development. In fact, we believe that
the process of defining notions of effective teaching (stage 1) and the
consequential collaborative development of the competence criteria (stages 2 and
3) are crucial stages for enabling teachers' professional development. The only
role that project leaders or consultants should play in these initial phases is
one involving the facilitation and scaffolding of workshop processes (Tharp
1993; Good & Brophy 1995).2.1 Stage 1: Initiation of the process of identifying
competencies The following list describes four ways of initiating the
process of identification of competencies in stage 1: · Teachers can
initially be asked questions like What is literacy? What is science? How can
you build onto pupils experiences? What makes a good teacher of
mathematics?· Facilitators can
provide examples of good classroom practice by using, for example, a video
recording of lessons drawn from a range of specific teaching subjects and then
requesting the group to analyse what they see and then discuss issues like
What is the teacher doing that is effective? · Teachers can share and
analyse their school policy documents in an attempt to identify where there may
be consensus about characteristics of effective teaching. They could be asked to
think about questions like (for example) What is important about monitoring
pupils work? · In subsequent sessions,
teachers can be asked to identify changes in their practice which have been
inspired by input from earlier workshops and support. They can be asked to
expand their understanding of good practice by extending their newly acquired
understanding to their own subject areas and classroom contexts. Thus, for
example, they might be asked How can group discussions be used in the
teaching of science? 2.1.1 Participants' responses to the question What do
student teachers in Year 1 need when they first go into
school?
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WHAT?
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WHY?
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1. professional commitment
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knowledge, attitudes, skills depend on this
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2. how to know pupils needs
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always necessary for teachers (relevance and
motivation)
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3. subject knowledge
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teachers have to know the requirements of the
syllabus
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4. communication skills
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to give guidelines to pupils for presentation, description,
summarising
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5. how to choose learning and teaching materials suitable for
pupils
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so they have pupils' attention
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5. punctuality
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for orga
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