Academic literature on the topic 'Education, Secondary Effective teaching'

Existing problems identified in the literature on teacher retention and resilience include (a) a gap in understanding factors influencing urban teacher retention; (b) lack of clarity on multiple factors swaying teachers' decisions to remain despite challenges; (c) overlapping definitions of teacher retention, attrition, and resilience; and (d) absence of a theoretical framework for a potential relationship between retention and resilience. This embedded-case study sought to identify factors influencing effective teachers' decisions to remain in an urban setting and to examine the role of teachers' resilience, retention, and effectiveness with respect to this decision. Fourteen core-area secondary teachers, identified through criterion reference sampling by National Board Certification status and administrators' assessment of characteristics derived from studies on effective urban teaching, participated in a focus group and individual interviews and supplied archival data. Line-by-line coding and data grouping revealed that (a) passion for students, dedication to reflection, a sense of spiritual calling, and dedication to social justice influenced both retention and resilience; (b) professional development increased resilience but had little influence on the decision to remain; and (c) teacher community influenced resilience at varying levels. The findings indicate a relationship between retention and resilience, yet they are not synonymous, suggesting caution when using resilience studies to create retention models. Outcomes suggest professional development that emphasizes reflection on one's purpose and practice and the linkage of reflection, pedagogical changes, and student achievement. This study contributes to positive social change by providing insight into retention of effective urban teachers and a foundation for further research on urban teacher retention and its impact on student performance.

This research arose from a deep concern regarding the falling numbers of able pupils who choose to study the physical sciences beyond GCSE. The research investigates the impact of the teaching and learning methodologies used in secondary school science on the attitudes and aspirations of able pupils towards the study of science and whether enabling a more autonomous role in the classroom might be beneficial. The mixed-methods research design had two phases. The first phase surveyed year 9 pupils and their science teachers across three comprehensive schools in Staffordshire. The second phase was an action research study involving the researcher working with the science department in a fourth Staffordshire comprehensive school over the following academic year. The findings of the initial phase of the research indicated that able pupils were disaffected with the science education that they received in school. Evidence from this phase of the research suggested that the didactic nature of teaching and learning in the science classroom was partly responsible for failing to inspire the ablest pupils to further study of science. The action research classroom interventions offered more autonomous learning opportunities for able pupils within science lessons. The impact of the action research on the pupils was a reported preference for the ‘ownership of task’ afforded to them in the classroom and an increased uptake of the option to study science at advanced level. The impact on the science teachers was a greater awareness of the importance of how they teach as distinct from what they teach. It supports a constructivist approach to the learning and development of both pupils and teachers, showing that serious reform of teacher initial and continuing education is needed if progress is to be widespread The implications of this research inform the ongoing debate regarding ‘best provision’ for able pupils in science; but a greater significance is that it also informs a model of ‘best provision’ for the urgent continuing professional development of science teachers. This research is particularly relevant to recent government policy on both science education and on the provision for gifted and talented pupils.

Quality mathematics education relies on effective pedagogy which offers students appropriate and rich opportunities to develop their mathematical proficiency (MP) and intellectual autonomy in learning mathematics. This qualitative case study aimed to explore and analyse selected effective mathematics teachers' proficiency in the area of geometry in five secondary schools in five different Namibia educational regions. The sample was purposefully selected and comprised five mathematics teachers, identified locally as being effective practitioners by their peers, Education Ministry officials and the staff of the University of Namibia (UNAM). The schools where the selected teachers taught were all high performing Namibian schools in terms of students' mathematics performance in the annual national examinations. The general picture of students' poor performance in mathematics in Namibia is no different to other sub-Saharan countries and it is the teachers who unfortunately bear the brunt of the criticism. There are, however, beacons of excellence in Namibia and these often go unnoticed and are seldom written about. It is the purpose of this study to focus on these high achievers and analyse the practices of these teachers so that the rest of Namibia can learn from their practices and experience what is possible in the Namibian context. The mathematical content and context focus of this study was geometry. This qualitative study adopted a multiple case study approach and was framed within an interpretive paradigm. The data were collected through individual questionnaires, classroom lesson observations and in-depth open-ended and semi-structured interviews with the participating teachers. These interviews took the form of post lesson reflective and stimulated recall analysis sessions. An adapted framework based on the Kilpatrick, Swafford and Findell's (2001) five strands of teaching for MP was developed as a conceptual and analytical lens to analyse the selected teachers' practice. The developed coding and the descriptive narrative vignettes of their teaching enabled a qualitative analysis of what teachers said contributed to their effectiveness and how they developed MP in students. An enactivist theoretical lens was used to complement the Kilpatrick et al.'s (2001) analytical framework. This enabled a deeper analysis of teacher teaching practice in terms of their embodied mathematical knowledge, actions and interactions with students. procedural fluency (PF) and productive disposition (PD), were addressed regularly by all five participating teachers. Evidence of addressing either the development of students' strategic competence (SC) or adaptive reasoning (AR) appeared rarely. Of particular interest in this study was that the strand of PD was the glue that held the other four strands of MP together. PD was manifested in many different ways in varying degrees. PD was characterised by a high level of content knowledge, rich personal experience, sustained commitment, effective and careful preparation for lessons, high expectations of themselves and learners, collegiality, passion for mathematics and an excellent work ethic. In addition, the teachers' geometry teaching practices were characterised by making use of real-world connections, manipulatives and representations, encouraging a collaborative approach and working together to show that geometry constituted a bridge between the concrete and abstract. The findings of the study have led me, the author, to suggest a ten (10) principles framework and seven (7) key interrelated factors for effective teaching, as a practical guide for teachers. This study argues that the instructional practices enacted by the participating teachers, who were perceived to be effective, aligned well with practices informed by the five strands of the Kilpatrick et al.'s (2001) model and the four concepts of autopoesis, co-emergence, structural determinism and embodiment of the enactivist approach. The study concludes with recommendations for effective pedagogical practices in the teaching of geometry, and opportunities for further research.