Teacher Effectiveness

Research consistently shows that teachers have the greatest potential to influence children's education. "The major research finding is that student achievement is related to teacher competence in teaching," note Kemp and Hall (1992, p. 4). Evidence from teacher-effectiveness studies indicates that student engagement in learning is to be valued above curriculum plans and materials. Research on teacher effectiveness has yielded a wealth of understanding about the impact that teacher ability has on student growth.

Highlights of findings from some of this research are as follows:

• Students achieve more when teachers employ systematic teaching procedures (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Effective teachers spend more time working with small groups throughout the day (Taylor, Pearson, & Walpole, 1999).

• Greater academic progress occurs when lessons begin with review (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Effective teachers use systematic feedback with students about their performance (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Teachers who have higher rates of communication with parents are viewed as more effective (Taylor, Pearson, & Walpole, 1999).

• Effective teachers run more orderly classrooms. Achievement has been higher in classrooms where the climate is neither harsh nor overly lavish with praise (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Teachers who adjust the difficulty level of material to student ability have higher rates of achievement in their classes (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Effective teachers have more students in their classes on task and engaged in learning throughout the day (Taylor, Pearson, & Walpole, 1999). Classrooms in which engaged learning occurs have higher levels of student cooperation, student success, and task involvement (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Effective teachers clearly articulate rules and include children in discussions about rules and procedures (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Effective teachers provide a variety of opportunities for students to apply and use knowledge and skills in different learning situations (Kemp & Hall, 1992).

• Effective teachers are able to pace the amount of information presented to the class, check student progress continually by asking questions of all students, and relate new learning to prior learning (Kemp & Hall, 1992). There is no substitute for a highly skilled teacher.

• Research in other areas indicates that realizing new learning for all students through professional development is an important concept. Professional development keeps teachers abreast of current issues in education, helps them implement innovations, and refines their practice.

References