Tapping on teachers’ knowledge bases of teaching in a learner-centric learning environment

1. Tapping on teachers’ knowledge bases of teaching in a learner-centric learning environment Michael Long Singapore FULBRIGHT DISTINGUISHED AWARD IN TEACHING ROGRAMME 2011

2. Introduction Thequality of an education cannot exceed the quality of its teachers. ~McKinsey Report, 2007

3. Teaching is a performance. (Hooks, 1994; Fenstermacher & Richardson, 2005; Duckworth & Goodman in Hatton, 2005) The act of teaching and learning involves at least two persons; one who teaches and one who learns(Fenstermacher & Richardson, 2005)

4. Issue • Every day : act of multi-tasking • Numerous initiatives : superficial acceptance and transfer, and don’t see the link

5. Consequence Our learning at teachers’ training or professional development sessions becomes a figment of our memory especially when it is not fully internalised through active transfer and visible activities, and when the link is not made.

6. Literature Review • Six major sources that can account for the variance in students’ academic achievement: • student (50% of the variance); • teachers (30% of the variance). • home (5 to 10% of the variance); • schools (5 to 10% of the variance); • peer effects (5 to 10% of the variance); • principals, (already accounted for under the ‘schools’ category); • John Hattie in Teachers Make a Difference: What Is the Research Evidence?(2003) (Stronge, 2010)

7. Implication ‘Effective school learning requires good teaching, and good teaching requires professionals who exercise judgements in constructing the education of their students’. (Porter and Brophy, 1988) This judgement has to be supported by the whole professional knowledge base for teaching.

8. My Intention To present to teachers a reference (or ‘script’) depicting the link of the fundamental knowledge bases necessary in building their competencies surrounding a learner-centric environment. As a reminder of the core of education of why we teach, what we teach and how we teach, as emphasised in the Teach Less, Learn More (TLLM) initiative, in raising the quality of teaching while engaging our learners’ hearts and minds to prepare them for life.

9. LIFT Presentation of Findings THRUST DRAG WEIGHT Figure 1. Forces affecting the flight of an aircraft (Smithsonian Air and Space Museum)

11. Knowledge Bases for Teaching Models of teaching and learning Content/Subject knowledge General pedagogical knowledge Curriculum knowledge Knowledge of educational ends Knowledge of learners Pedagogical Content Knowledge (PCK) Knowledge of educational contexts Knowledge of self Figure 2. Adapted from Knowledge bases for teaching: the model (Turner-Bisset, 2001)

12. Pedagogical Repertoire of an Effective Teacher Aspect 1 Strategies Activities Examples Analogies Illustrations Representations To teach Facts Concepts Skills Processes Beliefs Attitudes Aspect 2 Approaches Storytelling Socratic dialogue Drama Role-play Simulation Demonstration Modelling Problem-solving Singing Playing games Knowledge transformation Question-and-answer Instructing Explaining Giving feedback Aspect 3 Acting skills and strategies Voice Vocal animation Body language Physical animation Use of space Humour Role-play Use of props Surprise Suspense Observing children Organisational strategies Whole-class Split-class Large group Small group Pair Individual Figure 3. Pedagogical repertoire (Turner-Bisset, 2001)

13. Pedagogical Repertoire on a Foundation of Knowledge Bases Aspect 1 Strategies Activities Examples Analogies Illustrations Representations To teach Facts Concepts Skills Processes Beliefs Attitudes Aspect 2 Approaches Storytelling Socratic dialogue Drama Role-play Simulation Demonstration Modelling Problem-solving Singing Playing games Knowledge transformation Question-and-answer Instructing Explaining Giving feedback Aspect 3 Acting skills and strategies Voice Vocal animation Body language Physical animation Use of space Humour Role-play Use of props Surprise Suspense Observing children Organisational strategies Whole-class Split-class Large group Small group Pair Individual Knowledge Bases Substantive knowledge, syntactic knowledge and beliefs about the subject Curriculum knowledge and knowledge of educational ends Models of teaching and learning and general pedagogical knowledge Knowledge of educational contexts Knowledge of self Knowledge of learners Pedagogical content knowledge Figure 4. Adapted from a pedagogical repertoire (Turner-Bisset, 2001)

14. The ‘Script’ Classroom Management & Organisation Depth Balance Classroom Communication & Discourse Instructional models & strategies Breadth Structure Assessment & Educational Ends (Goals, purposes & values) and Beliefs Reflective practices Scope Purpose Curriculum Knowledge & Beliefs Representations Enactive General Pedagogical Knowledge & Beliefs Pedagogical Content Knowledge & Beliefs Iconic Content Knowledge & Beliefs Symbolic Substantive (Knowing that) Syntactic (Knowing how) Quality relationship building Knowledge of Learners and Learning & Beliefs Knowledge of Specific Contexts (Subject & Environment) Empirical/Social Cognitive Home Classroom Interests Self-Concept Knowledge of General Educational Contexts School Community Will & Effort Generic Specific Strengths Community Values Constructivist (Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey, Bruner) Models of Learning Theories Country Behaviourist (Pavlov, Skinner, Watson) Bloom, Gagne, etc Assessment Others: Transformative, Networked, etc. Cognitive (Sweller, Mayer) World Motivation (Maslow, Keller) Social Learning (Bandura) Formal Informal Figure 5. Adapted from Gess-Newsome and Lederman (1991), Moore (2000) and Turner-Bisset (2001)

15. Conclusion • Learning is guided by social interaction and strategies that evolve within the ‘process of doing’. (Moll, et al, 1992) • The teacher holds the key in constructing an environment surrounding the learners that can support or impede this realisation. • The knowledge bases of teachers guide and inform decisions to be made and actions to be taken.

16. Accountability is an ‘outside-in’ process while responsibility is an ‘inside-out’ process. (Powell, 2010)

17. Thank You’s • UMD Faculty Members • Dr James Greenberg • Dr Letitia Williams • Dr Jim DeGeorge • Dr Diane JassKetelhut • Dr Linda Valli • Dr Margaret Anne Walker • Dr Ann Schweighofer • Megan, Beth, and Andy • All schools I have visited, in particular, Paint Branch Elementary;special thanks to Dr Teston, Mrs Harris, Mrs Hunt and Ms Flores. • TheFHI360 family, and the U.S. Department of State, theBureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

18. End