Teaching Methodologies in Foreign Regions
FOREIGN
Although many experts feel they can easily identify excellent teachers, it has proven extraordinarily difficult to determine exactly which teacher characteristics contribute to desired student outcomes (Medley and Shannon 1994). Imig and Imig (2006) clarified some of the controversy that surrounds this area of research, especially in the United States. They identified two movements in U.S. education: the “essentialists” and “the progressives.” Essentialists, they said, focus on content and on student learning. “Teachers are responsible for leading whole classes of students and for the setting of high expectations and directing student learning toward measurable ends” (p. 168). In contrast, the progressives advocate child-centered curricula, constructivist approaches, and the consensus of experts to define high-quality education.
Studies in this section are divided into three general groups: those using traditional methods of research; those using value-added approaches; and those using observations, interviews, or ethnographic approaches. Note that these loose categories frequently overlap somewhat.
study, Avalos and Haddad (1981) summarized reviews of teacher effectiveness research in seven regions of the world, noting,
“There is little or no agreement about what to expect from teachers, even within any one setting. Quality has meant different things at different times and expectations range over a wide spectrum” (p. 7). In the study, teacher effectiveness “was loosely defined in terms of the changes which take place in the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals and communities as a result of teacher involvement” (p. 14). Avalos and Haddad divided the reviews according to factors relating to the teaching situation: teacher factors such as age, ability, knowledge, and experience; and school system characteristics, such as location, of studying the interaction between different cultural variables and
Although many experts feel they can easily identify excellent teachers, it has proven extraordinarily difficult to determine exactly which teacher characteristics contribute to desired student outcomes (Medley and Shannon 1994). Imig and Imig (2006) clarified some of the controversy that surrounds this area of research, especially in the United States. They identified two movements in U.S. education: the “essentialists” and “the progressives.” Essentialists, they said, focus on content and on student learning. “Teachers are responsible for leading whole classes of students and for the setting of high expectations and directing student learning toward measurable ends” (p. 168). In contrast, the progressives advocate child-centered curricula, constructivist approaches, and the consensus of experts to define high-quality education.
Studies in this section are divided into three general groups: those using traditional methods of research; those using value-added approaches; and those using observations, interviews, or ethnographic approaches. Note that these loose categories frequently overlap somewhat.
study, Avalos and Haddad (1981) summarized reviews of teacher effectiveness research in seven regions of the world, noting,
“There is little or no agreement about what to expect from teachers, even within any one setting. Quality has meant different things at different times and expectations range over a wide spectrum” (p. 7). In the study, teacher effectiveness “was loosely defined in terms of the changes which take place in the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of individuals and communities as a result of teacher involvement” (p. 14). Avalos and Haddad divided the reviews according to factors relating to the teaching situation: teacher factors such as age, ability, knowledge, and experience; and school system characteristics, such as location, of studying the interaction between different cultural variables and