When it comes to the concept of the quality teaching, what is good? First off, the concept of quality itself is difficult to articulate. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a classic college read that explores the concept of quality. Robert Pirsig wrote a second novel that explores the concept even deeper (Lila: An Inquiry into Morals, 1991). The fact that the main character in the first novel goes crazy trying to figure out the definition of good represents how hard it is to craft a sensible definition. Articulating a definition of quality teaching is an equally arduous task (Fenstermacher & Richardson, 2005). But our culture is predisposed to establish rigid definitions for concepts (Pritscher, 2001).
We want to know what we think we know, in writing, preferably concise enough to fit on a bumper sticker. David C. Berliner, a professor in the College of Education at Arizona State University, has delved into the topic of defining quality teaching. He defines quality teaching as having two major components: good teaching and effective teaching (Berliner, 2005). Berliner considers good teaching to be the strategic use of accepted teaching practices and defines effective teaching as the resultant level of student achievement. What I appreciate about this approach is grounding the evaluation of teaching in student performance outcomes.
There is a however, a downside to this approach. Delineating standards for what constitutes achievement constricts the definition of quality…the standards themselves then assume the basis for the definition (Eisner, 2002). Subsequently, the quality of effective education is defined by the level of student achievement as referenced to a set of established standards. And as we all know, measuring student achievement data via standards-based exams is mandated by NCLB (Imig & Imig, 2006). NCLB dictates that every state must establish a set of standards to gauge student achievement and thus these standards-based examinations become the prime measure for defining the quality of effective education.
Cycling back to Berliner’s definition and examining its two components: good teaching is the use of best practices and effectiveness is measured by performance on established standards. But the only data that the public sees and that is reported for compliance with NCLB are the test scores, not reports of teaching practices. The federal push for the Common Core of State Standards will supplant the state standards, further cementing that student performance outcomes on the annual exams will now define the quality of education.
People complain about teaching to the test, this is a case of the test is the teaching.
The pendulum has been in full swing for some time; that the standardized test scores are the metric for the quality of teaching. My fear is that space for novelty, the joy of discovery, and the romance of learning will get lost in the process. Will there still be time for those special moments as educators strive to incorporate hundreds of standards into their instruction?
Can you raise scores and not engage good educational practice? We all recognize that a chocolate chip cookie without chocolate chips is not good (my children would always put those back in the bin and search out the ones with the most chips). So if you follow a scripted lesson plan devoid of spontaneity and passion, you may be effective in raising scores but not be engaged in good teaching. Let me be frank about my bias, I prefer my cookies with the maximum number of chips, so I fall on the side of good teaching and effective teaching as being inseparable. We need to celebrate success in all areas, standardized tests, student engagement and teachers’ rapport with their students. After all, the best chocolate cookies are the warm ones.
Make a good day,
Tod
PS. Berliner, D. C. (2005). The near impossibility of testing for teacher quality. Journal of Teacher Education, 56(3), 205-213.
PSS. Eisner, E. (2002). What can education learn from the arts about the practice of education? Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 18(1), 4-16.
PSSS. Fenstermacher, G. D., & Richardson, V. (2005). On making determinations in quality in teaching. Teacher's College Record, 107(1), 186-212.
PSSSS. Imig, D. G., & Imig, S. F. (2006). The teacher effectiveness movement: How 80 years of essentialist control have shaped the teacher education profession. Journal of Teacher Education, 57(2), 167-180.
PSSSSS. Pirsig, R. M. (1991). Lila: An inquiry into morals. New York: Bantam. His website: http://robertpirsig.org
PSSSSSS. Pritscher, C. P. (2001). Quantum learning: Beyond duality. Amsterdam: Rodopi.
