Towards effective teaching

It is a general belief, locally, that teachers do not need any training/education. This arises from the conviction, on the part of some, that teaching is an art and not a science. I say this because very few esteemed ‘private schools’ require trained teachers. If you have obtained a Masters or Bachelors degree in a particular subject, you are automatically credited to teach it well, and lo and behold — you are hired! Also, one could argue that the curricula are ‘teacher proof’, that is to say; books and other resources provide all that needs to be accomplished from the education system. Moreover, if a school is producing good grades, what training do teachers need? This belief becomes stronger as we go up the education ladder. So, a montessori teacher would still have to be trained in the profession, but an O/A-Level teacher would be good to teach with just a specialisation in her subject.

The ‘World Education Report’ (1998) pointed out that “while teaching and learning conditions are important, teachers are central to the question of education’s quality and relevance. How they are educated and prepared for their work is a critical indicator of what kind of educational quality and relevance is being sought”.

When I think of teacher development, the discourse that I indulge in is centred on the following questions: What do teachers need to know? Is the knowledge of subject matter enough? Do they need to know about various child development and learning procedures? Do they need to be aware of methodologies/pedagogies? Do they require knowing various classroom management techniques? Do they need to know how the curriculum needs to be developed? Do they need to know the various assessment techniques that exist?

Although ideally it should be conceived of as a continuum, teacher education should be divided into these stages: initial teacher training/education; induction; and teacher development or continuing professional development (CPD). The term ‘teacher training’, which may give the impression that the activity involves training staff to undertake relatively routine tasks, is now being replaced with the more encompassing term of ‘teacher education’, which implies preparing the teaching staff for a professional role as a reflective practitioner.

John Dewey, the father of progressive education, said that “education is not about telling and being told, but an active and constructive process”. This is a principle conceded in theory, but, at times, ignored in practice! We all must realise that how we teach is as important as what we teach, that the meta-curriculum, the paradigm shifts, as a result of a deeper understanding of the world, we nurture in our students matter as much as any content knowledge. In my view, such effectiveness can be brought about by teachers engaged in pre-service and in-service training, engaged in collegial and productive debates with colleagues and researching the latest trends and innovations in education.

Thus, in my view, based on my research and experience, teacher education enables a teacher to be one of the most effective agents of change. They understand the key principles of teaching and learn how to put them to use in the classroom. Teacher education enables teachers to focus on the different learning styles or learning preferences that students bring to the classroom. They can better identify what a student’s learning style is. They become lifelong learners themselves, who continuously self-reflect and challenge their style, learning and relearning from their students. In this context, continuous teacher development goes a long way in maximising the potential benefits of education.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.