TOWARDS A FRAMEWORK OF TEACHING EFFECTIVENESS IN

PUBLIC SCHOOLS: A Mixed Methods Study of

Excellence in Classroom Practice

A Research Proposal

What constitutes and influences teaching effectiveness and what are the factors that makes a teacher effective.

It will take into account the influences of factors that may contribute to effective teacher’s classroom practices;

Republic Act No. 7784 defines "Excellence in education" as pertaining to the ‘efficient, effective and innovative delivery of relevant, functional, and quality programs’ in the teaching and learning process.

The excellence in providing quality education happens with the interplay of the schools, teachers, social support to learning, complementary interventions, and good leaders. Collaboration of all these basic components are important to promote “breakthrough” practices and these practices are characterized by shared responsibility of all stakeholders for student success. (Fullan, Hill and Crevola, 2006).

In building a framework for teaching effectiveness, this study aims to accomplish four main aims:

(1) To describe, analyze and explain the factors that influences effective teacher’s classroom practices using methods of observation, standardized performance appraisal system, detailed field notes and pupil and teachers’ perceptions;

(2) To explore classroom practice of the respondent teachers across different school contexts, professional life phases and ages in relation to observation of professional practice and,

(3) To analyze the relationships between observed classroom practice and students needs, school context, teacher professional life and ages, and most of all,

(4) Implications for key stakeholders who are involved in raising standards for schools and for teacher development.

The in-depth analysis of quantitative and qualitative investigation will provide the framework of teaching effectiveness which highlights teaching practices and processes that will inform educational leaders’ the evidence-based decisions and draw conclusions and recommendations about their implications for the systems at large.

Research Gaps

What does previous researches recommend for future study?

1. Teaching is a part of nearly every professional's activities and, for some, it is a career (Ursano, Amy M; Kartheiser, Paul H; Ursano, Robert J).

However, the complex and essential nature of teaching in our professions is often overlooked. The teacher's essential skills, attitudes, and behaviors are rarely described and even less often given thought

(Weissmann, et al., 2006).

2. Teaching effectiveness is a multi-dimensional construct (Kington, et.al.,2010) --that is, it is possible that a teacher may excel in some aspects of teaching, but not in others. Thus, articulating the old adage that: “Nobody has the monopoly of everything.”

3. Specific focus on characteristics and practices of teachers who appear to be successful in their teaching.

This study would come up with an analysis of the best practices and what works best in ensuring quality education which will form a framework of teaching effectiveness.

4. The current literature does not identify what makes a teacher effective in different circumstances and at different times or age, different school contexts, and professional life phases.

(Creemers , 1994; Muijs and Reynolds, 2000; Scheerens, 1992; Teddlie and Liu, 2008).

Does not combine observational studies with other key factors that affect the quality of teachers, teaching and pupil outcomes such as career phase, teacher identity, and school processes, and social contexts.

(Creemers , 1994; Muijs and Reynolds, 2000; Scheerens, 1992; Teddlie and Liu, 2008). This has continued to be an area of interest in this study.

There is a need for research in the country to examine more closely the links between effectiveness at the school level and the ways in which it can promote and support effective teaching within individual classrooms, particularly since the impact of classroom level effectiveness has been shown to influence practice more directly than whole school effectiveness

(Creemers , 1994; Muijs and Reynolds, 2000; Scheerens, 1992; Teddlie and Liu, 2008).

This enabled a research-informed account and explanation of the relationships between teacher’s backgrounds, context, interactions, and experiences over time and their classroom practice.

Methods

The study shall employ the Mixed-Method – a combination of quantitative and quantitative method of research.

Collecting different types of data by different methods from different sources produces a wider scope of coverage, and might result in a fuller picture of the phenomena under study than would have been achieve otherwise (Bonoma, 1985).

This study seeks to establish a multi-dimensional picture of teaching effectiveness by integrating a range of teacher, principal, and pupil perspectives;

Classroom observations and a contextual perspective of the teachers.

The main instrument in collecting quantitative data is the survey questionnaire in Likert Model formulated by the researcher for the teachers and their school heads, pupils or students.

This survey questionnaire contains all items reflected from the aspects of school effectiveness framework

The Survey Questionnaire: use to

a)identify key characteristics of teachers in terms of age, years in teaching and school sector; and

b)establish, in conjunction with the literature, key factors thought to influence teachers’ classroom practice and student learning and attainment.

The purpose of the pupil questionnaire was to gather information about pupils perceptions of different ‟aspects of their classroom experiences, including their attitudes towards their school and views of teaching.

It also provided further measures of classroom practice, attitudes towards school and views of teaching centered on students’ perceptions of the teacher.

Points Descriptive Indicators

1 Not Evident This mechanism or performance was not felt or seen in the classroom.

Thus, poor performance negatively impacts practices for school

improvement.

2 Hardly Evident This mechanism was seen or felt by some pupils but does not seem to hold

over a period of time. The inconsistency creates imbalance and thus it

needs to improve substantially for the benefit of all stakeholders.

3 Evident This mechanism shows quality of teaching meets expected standards and

practices for classroom and pupil improvement but minimal consistency

over a period of time.

4 Very Evident This mechanism shows effective teaching as it fulfills responsibilities

resulting in quality pupil performance that impact effective learning and

teaching to raise learning outcomes.

5 Clearly Evident This mechanism exceeds expectations as teacher fulfills school goals and

objectives. It consistently produces exceptionally high quality teaching

leadership for the pupils and optimizes effective practices for classroom

improvement.

Semi-structured pre- and post-observation interviews: the pre-observation interview explored issues such as planning, differentiation and inclusion, classroom management, teaching skills, assessment, and role.

The post-observation instrument allowed in-depth probing of issues relating to aspects of the observed teaching session as well as exploring perceptions of effectiveness, leadership, identity, and professional life phase.

Semi-structured interviews with school leaders can be use to

a)collect information relating to pupil intake, behavior, parental involvement, and school culture; and

b)b) provide a further perspective on the practice and effectiveness of participating teachers, and the role of school leadership.

Kathleen Eisenhardt’s Process of Building Theory from Case Study

Research (Eisenhardt, 1989 as cited by Pare’ 2002)

Step 1. Getting Started

In pursuit of this objective, five (5) interrelated research questions were initially stated:

(1.) What are the factors which influence teachers effective classroom practices?

(2.) Do the factors which influence effectiveness vary for teachers working in different school cultures contexts, or for different kinds of outcomes, ages and professional life phases? If so, how and why?

(3.) What are the similarities and differences in the factors that influence classroom practice in different school phases and context?

(4.) What are the relationships between observed classroom practice and policy, school context, teacher professional life phase, and professional identity?

(5.) What are the implications of this for key stakeholders who are involved in raising standards in schools?

The Characteristics of Effective Practice.

Step 2. Selecting CasesThis research relies on theoretical sampling (i.e. cases are chosen for theoretical, not statistical, reasons). As Pettigrew (1988) noted, given the limited number of cases which can usually be studied, it makes sense to choose cases such as extreme situations and polar types in which the process of interest is "transparently observable." Thus, the goal of theoretical sampling is to choose cases which are likely to replicate or extend the emergent theory.

Step 3. Crafting Instruments and Protocols

The study shall use mixed-method of inquiry or a combination of quantitative and qualitative in analyzing data.

Quantitative evidence can indicate relationships which may not be salient to the researcher. It also can keep researchers from being carried away by vivid, but false, impressions in qualitative data, and it can bolster findings when it corroborates those findings from qualitative evidence.

The qualitative data are useful for understanding the rationale or theory underlying relationships revealed in the quantitative data or may suggest directly theory which can then be strengthened by quantitative support (Jick, 1979 as cited by Pare, 2004).

Step 4. Entering the Field

Data can be taken from key informants interview, focused group discussions, classroom observations and other related documents that could answer the research problem and questions. Field notes are valuable tool of recording first-hand information in the inquiry process. As described by Van Maanen (1988), field notes are an ongoing stream-of-consciousness commentary about what is happening in the research.

Step 5. Analyzing DataCoding in qualitative research involves segmenting the data

into units (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1983) and rearranging them into categories that facilitate insight, comparison, and the development of theory (Strauss & Corbin, 1990). Codes serve as retrieval and organizing devices that allow the rapid retrieval and clustering of all the segments related to a particular question, concept, or theme.

The coding scheme proposed in this study was divided into four broad categories: (1) School Climate (2) Teacher’s Core Values and Characteristics, (3) Pupils’ Needs, and (4) Classroom Climate.

On the other hand, Cross-Case Analysis allows the researcher to compare responses from the respondents and look for similarities and differences which may lead to an in-depth understanding of school effectiveness. As patterns begin to emerge, certain evidence may stand out as being in conflict with the patterns. In those cases, the investigator conducts follow-up focused interviews to confirm or correct the initial data in order to tie the evidence to the findings and to state relationships in answer to the research questions.

Step 6. Shaping Hypotheses

The next step of this highly iterative process is to compare systematically the emerging theory with the evidence from each project in order to assess how well or poorly it fits with the data. The central idea is that researchers constantly compare theory and data - iterating toward a theory that closely fits the data (Eisenhardt, 2002 as cited by Pare’, 2004).

Step 7. Enfolding Literature

An essential feature of theory building is comparison of the emergent concepts, theory, or hypotheses with the extant literature (Eisenhardt, 2002). This involves asking what is similar to, what does it contradict, and why.

Step 8. Reaching Closure

An important issue in reaching closure is when to stop adding cases. Ideally, researchers should stop adding cases when theoretical saturation is reached (Eisenhardt, 2002). Theoretical saturation is the point at which incremental learning is minimal because the researchers are observing phenomena seen before (Glaser & Strauss, 1999).

Participants to the Study

The respondents considered for this study are the 30 winners to the Metrobank Search for Outstanding Teachers from Central Luzon and National Capital Region.

Thank You and

Good Day !!!

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