The Background Of Effective Teaching

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

Effective teaching is an important term in describing the link between the success of students learning and developing from the teaching provided, and is a continual learning process. Effective teachers understand that not all teaching styles are effective for all students and that students develop at different rates and in every classroom there will be difference in student learning styles and abilities.

Effective teachers accommodate the different needs of their students. Effective teachers use a range pedagogies, encourage student responsibility and learning, master their teaching content, provide a safe, caring environment, use of humour with students and building positive relationships with students (Lingard, B & Ladwig J., 2001).

Figure 1 above illustrates effective teaching by highlighting the importance of the effective teacher in the classroom in the current society and time. The topic of effective teaching is illustrated in the image on the board where students are paying attention to the teacher lecturing. An effective teacher as the one seen in the figure, has the ability to organise classroom and manage students and their behaviour (Browers and Tomic, 2000). Studies also showed that ineffective teachers, that are unable to control their classroom or their students behaviours will result in low-achievement results of students and their learning (Donovan & Cross, 2002).

The teacher is shown in the image in red colour to represent the importance of the effective teacher’s role in the classroom and that only one teacher in each classroom of about 20 to 30 students. The teacher has a big heart seen in the teacher chest area to represent a teacher’s big caring heart required for the care and encouragement of students in the school. These factors indicate the teachers’ role and responsibilities in the classroom. The NSW institute of Teachers (2004), also supports that effective teachers create and maintain safe and challenging learning environments through use of classroom management skills (McInerney M & McInerney V., 2006).

There is also a big smile on the teacher’s face, one demonstrating the main communicator, one of happiness, sense of humour, caring and role model. Role model giving clear simple instructions, explaining to students, giving advice, encouraging students and to create good relations with parents and other teachers to support students development and learning. The teacher in figure 1 has a big Bluetooth sender signal in the head area and the students each have a Bluetooth receiver to represent the process of student learning from an effective teacher. The teacher Bluetooth signal image is a big signal to represent the large brain of the teacher that is full of new and interesting knowledge and ideas to give to the learning students.

The teacher’s hands are one of support and helpful where they offer as much help as possible. As seen in the image of the teacher in red colour offering a hand, help and support to another student. This indicates the importance of teachers’ role and responsibilities in the classroom and that effective teachers strive to engage all their students in learning rather than accepting there are some that cannot be engaged and perform poorly. Thus the use of digital pedagogy in this century teaching is the use of digital technology to help engage students in learning.

The NSW model of pedagogy for public schools include intellectual quality, quality learning environment and significane. Intellectual quality is pedagogy focused on deep understand and knowledge of concepts, ideas and skills. Quality learning environment includes caring, supportive classroom, and learning is improved when the classroom environment provide high levels of support for learning. For the significance and to achieve high quality learning outcomes for each student, students need to see why, and to understand that, their learning matters, and that effective teachers will need to work from a combination of their knowledge of the specific subject matter they are teaching and their knowledge of the cognitive, social and cultural backgrounds of their students in the classroom (Quality Teaching in NSW public schools, 2003).

There are a wide variety of learning techniques that teachers need to adapt, as different students have different learning abilities. In the figure 1, there is a variety of teaching and more emphasis on more technology methods such as the use of computers which is more interesting and useful method which can accommodate for more students learning, especially in the twenty-first century. Productive pedagogies outlines that teachers should consider intellectual quality, connectedness, supportive classroom environment and working with a difference all for teaching and learning (Marsh C, 2010).

Also use of a range of pedagogies such as having the effective teachers know their students learning abilities and know that if they are provided with learning opportunities to learn not only from the teacher but also from other students and from other resources such as internet and computers (New South Wales Institute of Teachers, 2004). Effective teachers understand the learner, understand the learning process, provide a supportive and challenging environment, establish worthwhile learning relationships, shape and respond to, a variety of social and cultural contexts. Also research shows that student learning is improved when teachers are given professional development in the content they are teaching and in working with students with special needs or those from a second language background (Lingard, B & Ladwig J., 2001; Marsh C, 2010).

A teacher must identify and accommodate for all students learning, especially those with difficulties. The variety of images and colours in the classroom indicate the different subjects and learning areas such as science, maths, English, sport activities, learning about healthy eating and driving rules in secondary school as these topics area may influence students learning. Effective teachers will teach in a way that encourages students to take greater responsibilities of their learning and their actions, as also mentioned the successful teacher is one who not only concentrates on content matter but also on moral engagement because this will enhance the academic motivation because the students will have learnt to take responsibility for their actions. (Marsh C, 2000)

An effective teacher simplifies instructions for some students, re-teaches or provides additional demonstration, rewards different students in different ways, monitors some students more closely than others. Some studies have found links between certain classroom methods and student learning. These include the use of hands-on learning, a focus on challenging skills, use of the discovery-inquiry method, and teaching that motivates learning (McInerney M & McInerney V., 2006). As the teacher in figure 1, tries to explain on the board, also having a colourful classroom, using humour and creating caring environment. Effective teachers also know how to organise and manage classroom time effectively methods.

The impact of educational reform is necessary if there is more beneficial factor to students learning and teachers’ education thus all leading to effective teaching. Educational reform include improving teacher quality of education, better outcomes for low-socio-economic status schools, working towards a national curriculum, and supporting students with disability. Educational reform brings changes for teachers in curriculum and syllabus which change from time to time to help adapt to different times and students (McInerney M & McInerney V., 2006).

The Queensland School Reform Longitudinal study focuses on that at classroom level, productive pedagogies stands as way to document the ways in which classroom practices can improve social and academic outcomes for all students (Lingard, B & Ladwig J., 2001). In figure 1, there is a wide variety of topics and subject areas such as sports, science , maths which lead to improved academic outcomes of the students by the different teaching method such as board use or computer use. Pedagogies hold an ethical side in which practices that teachers adopt in the classroom shape the kinds of people students become in the future and includes emotional, social and moral development (Marsh C, 2000).

Teachers should apply the codes of ethics to help them on decision making and issues in the classroom as well as in the school. Ethic codes will also help promote public confidence in the teaching profession. Teachers need to uphold integrity, respect, caring, diligence and responsibilities of core values of the teaching profession. In figure 1, there is also a sign in the classroom with the word ethics written on top on a pile of many signs to indicate the importance and the need of ethics in teaching to have equity and fairness in teaching and schools. This includes accommodating the curriculum for specific student with special physical or mental needs. Such as some students may require special assistance teacher, or larger print for visually impaired students or printing on coloured paper for other students. The ethics of teaching can be thought of as systems which underpin teachers’ choices of practices. Because of these results of these choices and changes hold potentially long term effects for students in their care, such studies are important to understand the emotional and social impact of pedagogy and teaching on teachers. Thus behaving ethically is a responsibility of all teachers especially effective teachers. (Groundwater-Smith S, et al, 2003; Marsh C, 2000)

There is also a need for equity and access in regards to teachers development and student performance. There is a need and aim to provide students with knowledge, skills and practices necessary for teaching to help all students learning. This can be done by creating a caring, respectful environment, establishing equity, ensuring that less intelligent students have adequate opportunities to succeed and be acknowledged by teachers, broadening the range of ability required in instructions. This is seen in the figure 1 by the equal opportunities and same conditions given to all students, despite their different backgrounds, locality and socio-economic background. There is an image in the classroom background of all the different backgrounds of students country flags to represent the multiculturalism and despite this difference, there is equity and access among all students from the effective teacher. Thus ethics of effective teaching and pedagogy provides one way for teachers to think about the choices that they make and give more solid grounds for the selections that they make in teaching (McInerney D.M & McInerney V., 2006).

Thus, effective teaching involves having effective teachers that have classrooms that are well organised that fosters an interest in learning, develops classroom rules in which all students are treated fairly and equity, use effective teaching techniques such as planning, explaining instructions clearly, providing opportunities to students to be actively involved in their learning. Also effective teachers create caring and supportive relationships with their students as supported in figure 1 above.