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Abstract
Boyd & Ronald (1989) identify two major goals of teacher evaluation, i.e.
assessment of teacher competence and encouragement of teacher
professional development.
The present study investigates the perception of lower secondary
school teachers in Hanoi about the teacher evaluation through the current
teaching assessment-criteria, which are used in Hanoi. Survey
questionnaires were collected from 30 teachers who are teaching English in
lower secondary schools and 10 teachers’ evaluators from different districts
in Hanoi.
The survey was followed by semi-structured interviews with 7
respondents in an attempt to find out their thoughts about the current
teaching assessment criteria in terms of their objectivity, practicality and
assessibility.
With regard to the role of teaching evaluation, the teaching assessment
criteria make a good contribution to the effectiveness of teaching English at
schools in Hanoi. However, more detailed indicators of the assessment sheet
should be designed and the peculiarities of the subject should be concerned
to make the teaching assessment more effective.
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Part A. Introduction
1. Background
In Vietnam, English is now most widely taught throughout the
country, and it is more popular in big cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh
city. Teachers of English are said to find jobs easier than teachers of other
subjects because English is taught systematically at schools from grade 3.
However, it is revealed that after ten years learning English at schools and
even after finishing the university, our students cannot be self- confident
enough to communicate with foreigners or to apply for a job that must deal
with foreigners without studying any further English courses.
Therefore, the issue of quality in English language teaching in
Vietnam has been a matter of concern. Teaching is often said to be an art
rather than a science: hence it is not easy to judge it. However, in all the
schools that are said to be famous for their quality, the teaching must be
good. Good teaching is the result of good teachers. There are many good
teachers of English in Vietnam, that is the undenying fact. Good knowledge
of English is the first characteristic of a good English teacher and then the
teaching methods. In different grades there are different teaching methods.
Many teaching methods and techniques have been applied by the secondary
school teachers to develop their students’ learning ability. Unfortunately the
results are not very satisfactory for various reasons.Teachers all have known
that they must be patient with their students or they must be enthusiatic.
However, they will get angry if their students do not finish their homework
or cannot answer their questions at the lesson. They also understand that
they need to be sensitive to their students through gestures, facial
expressions and should not dominate the lesson but they can hardly do it.
Theoretically, there are teachers training programmes every year to improve
teachers’ knowledge to make their teaching better and better. However, after
years of teaching in lower-secondary schools, teachers find themselves
unable to use English for day-to-day communication, one of the most
important factors in teaching foreign languages. Moreover, some of the
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teachers cannot answer their students’ questions about the information in the
textbook although they all passed the “teaching assessment” every year and
many of them get the prize of “Excellent Teachers”.
To meet the needs of socio-conomic, scientific and technological
development, as well as the intergration of the country, the Ministry of
Education and Training (MOET) requested to reform the teaching
curriculum for all national lower and upper secondary schools toward
greater emphasis on students ability or it is often called learner-centered
teaching. Together with the curriculum changing, the teaching evaluation
and teacher assessment have been renovated. Based on the Teaching
Evaluation Criteria of the Ministry of Education and Training; Hanoi
Department of Education and Training has applied the criteria to evaluate
English teaching as well as other subjects. Twenty teaching evaluation
criteria in the observation sheet, which is mainly used for assessing teachers
after having one or two periods of class observation is so called teacher
evaluation anually. However, after 6 years of its application, the evaluation–
criteria are somehow causing different oppinions.
Theoretically, there have been lots of teaching evaluation models
designed by native speakers and other nations around us such as Britain,
America or Singapore. Many research in this field have been done by
universities or institutes in the world like the Research in Improving Teacher
Evaluations with Practical Assessment, Research & Evaluation by American
Institutes or Guidelines for Evaluating Teaching by the University of
Michigan and others. In Vietnam, there is not a standard tool of teaching
evaluation system. That explains why teacher evaluation has not achieved
success in teaching development and in teacher encouragement. It is known
that the MOET has been carrying out the experiment of the teaching
evaluation for primary school teachers since 2003 and it is still in the first
stage of being applied in the South. For the lower secondary school teachers,
the assessment for their teaching depends on their own district.
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In this situation, the researcher would like to focus on this field to find
out a better approach to the evaluation of teachers including its purpose, the
rules and regulations that apply, the target group to be evaluated, the
domains to be covered, the procedures and methods to be employed, the
instruments to be used, the persons to be involved, and the types of reports
and feedback to be provided. However, there is no one complete source for
information on one’s teaching, and no single technique for gathering it.
Moreover, the techniques need to be sensitive to the particular teaching
assignment of the instructor being assessed or evaluated, as well as the
context in which the teaching takes place. Therefore, the reseacher uses an
investigation of teachers teaching English in lower secondary schools in
Hanoi for this reseach through questionnaires and interviews as usual.
2. Aims of the study
Based on the needs analysis mentioned above, the study is aimed at:
- Finding out what teachers and teacher evaluators think about the
current teacher evaluation basing on the teaching assessment criteria of the
observation sheet in terms of their objectivity, practicality and assessibility.
- Finding out the gaps, if any, between teachers and teacher
evaluators’ perceptions of the evaluation criteria.
- Exploring the extent to which the evaluation criteria encourage
teachers’ creativeness in their teaching according to teachers’ perception.
3. Scope of the study
Teaching is a complex and personal activity that is best assessed and
evaluated using multiple techniques and broadly-based criteria.
The study limited to the investigation of teachers and teacher
evaluators’ comments on the current criteria for evaluating teachers’
teaching. These teachers and teacher evaluators are working within a district
of Hanoi city.
The aim of this investigation is to find out space for improvement of
the current teaching evaluation criteria. Findings are used to inform
concerned administrators of empirical evidence from which their decisions
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on teaching evaluation can be derived. However, the study was not intended
to produce new teaching evaluation criteria. Rather, it is just an attempt to
understand the voice of teachers and teacher evaluators – the key consumers
of the current teaching evaluation criteria – about the question under
investigation.
4. Research method of the study
The qualitative approach, which involves survey questionnaires,
interviews and document analysis, is employed combined with quantitative
one which data analysis will be processed by the level of agreement marked
through the 4 options.
The subjects of the study are a sample of 30 teachers teaching English
and 10 teacher evaluators from 10 Districts working in Education and
Training Services in Hanoi.
- Document analysis (the teacher evaluation criteria applied in Hanoi)
is the first stage of the study.
- The survey questionnaire is the second stage and then 5 teachers and
2 teacher evaluators are chosen randomly and voluntarily for semi-structured
interviews to provide an insight into the statistical findings made from the
questionnaire.
5. Organization of the study
Three parts will be presented: Introduction, Development and
Conclusion. In the introduction of the study the background of English
teaching evaluation is presented and the aims, the scope, the methods and
the organization of the study are also mentioned. Part B or the development
is the most important one with three chapters which show the nature of
teaching, the teaching evaluation and the study. The final part summarizes
the findings of the study and some implications for further research are also
mentioned.
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PART B. DEVELOPMENT
Chapter 1 - The Nature of Teaching
1. Teaching - a special work
Labaree (2000) indicates that teaching is an enormously difficult job
that looks easy. Generally speaking, the nature of teaching is the process of
transferring knowledge from the teacher-the former to the students-the latter,
that makes the process of becoming a teacher not so complicated. It is said
that teaching is easy because teachers are the people who read materials first
and then repeat the things they have read to their students. However, reality
is quite different. Teaching, unlike other professions, requires teachers not
only good techniques in teaching but also an emotional relationship with
their students; However, there is no guide book for how to accomplish this.
Teaching is a dificult practice because students must be willing to
learn what the teacher is teaching, and students are only present in the
classroom because they are compelled to be there. Like other practitioners in
the professions of human improvement, teachers have to work things out on
their own, without being able to fall back on standards of acceptable
professional practice such as those that guide lawyers, doctors and
accountants. Although teachers have many curriculum materials to follow,
the curriculum developers and others often have failed to take account of the
teachers. The roots of the gap between the reality and the perception of
teaching and learning to teach look easy is that teachers put themselves in
positions that dismish their own status and power in order to enhance the
capacity and independence of their students.
In general, teaching is the specialized application of knowledge and
skills designed to provide unique service to meet the educational needs of
the individual and of society. Teaching is special because teachers must have
charisma. Good teachers are not like skilled craftworkers who know exactly
what they must do and take pleasure in a job well done but quite separate
from their enthusiasm. Teachers are not only skillful workers but emotional
to their students as well. Teaching is special because it is very difficult for
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teachers to make it well but it looks easy for others. Only best teachers can
determine the effects of practice in particular context. They know not only
what they are doing, but why it is working and why it is likely to work in
one kind of environment and not in an other. Although best teachers may
have some natural personality characteristics that support their success, they
also work very hard at their teaching and continually try to improve. That is
really not easy.
Therefore, not so as it is understood, teaching is not simply a process
of transfering the knowledge from the former to the later. It is a special work
that is like an art. The teacher will get success only when he/she acts
wonderfully before his/her students.
2. Teaching - a creative work
Despite the difficulties inherent in teaching, the profession is generally
seen to be relatively easy even among teacher candidates because of many
reasons that teachers have spent a great deal of time as students observing
teachers practise their trade. The time of observation shows them a lot about
what teachers do and the perception of substantive skills and teacher’s
knowledge is thoroughly ordinary. A good teacher is the person who makes
her/ his business unnecessary that means he/she can make his/her
empowering learners learn without the teacher’s help.
Teachers have a right to participate in all decisions that affect them or
their work. The educational interests of students are best served by teachers
who exercise their professional judgement.Teaching, like any forms of
creative invention, is situated in person, and professional growth is an
intensely private affair. In a landscape without bearing, teachers create and
internalize their own maps. Although curriculum designers aim to create
particular kinds of learning experiences for students, they can anticipate only
partially what particular children will bring to instruction and how easily
they will learn. Teachers necessarily select from and adapt materials to suit
their own students. . Curriculum materials are seen to be a guide but to be a
constraint and control both knowledge and teaching, limiting students’
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opportunities to learn. Teachers who invent lessons are said to be creative
and imaginative. Their invention will make the lessons more interesting than
the textbook itself. Therefore, good teaching involves more than the simple
transmission of information and includes motivating students and creating a
possitive classroom environment as well.
3. Effective teachers
During the past 50 years the debate over effective teaching has moved
from a dicussion of technical, classroom skills, or process skills as they have
been called, to a focus on skills necessary to make the subject matter
understandable to the student. From the Cornell Center for Learning and
Teaching, recent work on teacher effectiveness has yielded the following
observations which support an integrative model that is both process-and
content-based:
Teachers promote learning by communicating to their students what is
expected and why. Effective teachers not only know the subject matter they
intend their students to learn but also know the misconceptions their
students bring to the classroom that will interfere with their learning of that
subject matter. Besides, effective teachers are clear about what they intend to
accomplish through their instruction, and they keep these goals in mind both
in designing the instruction and in communicating its purpose to the
students. They make certain that their students understand and are satisfied
by the reasons given for why they should learn what they are asked to learn.
Effective instruction provides students with structured opportunities to
exercise and practice independent learning strategies.
In addition to that, effective teachers create learning situations in
which their students are expected not just to learn facts and solve given
problems but to organize information in new ways and formulate problems
for themselves. Such learning situations include creative writing
opportunities in language arts, problem-formulation activities in
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mathematics, and independent projects in science, social studies and
literature.
Moreover, effective teachers should continuously monitor their
students’ understanding of presentations and responses to assignments. They
routinely provide detailed feedback, but not necessarily in the same way for
all students. And they must realize that what is learned is more likely to be
remembered and used in the future if it serves students’ purposes beyond
meeting school requirements.
Although teachers are human, not machines; effective teachers should
take time for reflection and self-evaluation, monitor their instruction to make
sure that worthwhile content is being taught to all students, and accept
responsibilty for guiding student learning and behavior. Effective teacher
should talk less and teach more. Students always believe in the teachers who
both start and end the class on time. It is important to note that effective
teachers should condition students to respond to their arm motions from day
one and be specific when giving instructions…short, concise information.
Teachers have different perspectives, approaches and objectives to achieve.
However effective teachers should not speak in generalities and should
never work too long on the problems of one section or one structure. On the
other hand, they must know when to practice complete passages vs.
practicing “spots” in the reading lesson and be consistent in correcting their
students’errors and faults. One more important is that teachers should use
the blackboard (whiteboard) to clarify problems. Nowadays, some of the
teachers are not used to using blackboard. They prefered modern facilities.
Finally, students are very sensitive about criticizing. Therefore,
teachers should be careful when giving criticism or praise. Effective teachers
know how to criticize and when to do it. They should never criticize or
praise the same students. And their students must always believe that each
day is new day with them.
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4. Effective teaching
Effective teaching is the basis of successful learning. Effective
teaching identifies and builds on prior knowledge, makes real-life
connection, develops deep understanding and monitors and reflects on
learning.
Although many people believed that good teaching is impossible to
define in any general way, many others suggest that certain characteristics
are associated with good school teaching as viewed by students, other
teachers and administrators. Ebro(1997), presented in a study of winners of
the Alumini Distinguished Teaching Award at Ohio State some
characteristics of effective teaching which are based on traits of effective
teachers such as
The teachers got right down to business.
They began class promptly and were well organized.
They taught at an appropriately fast pace, but stopped regularly to
check student comprehension and engagement.
They used a variety of instructional strategies rather than lecture
alone.
They focused on the topic and their instructional objectives and did
not get sidetracked.
Their explanations were clear.
They used humor that was in keeping with their individual styles.
They practiced good classroom management techniques, holding the
attention and respect of the group.
They interacted with sudents by providing immediate answers to
questions or comments and corrective feedback when needed.
They praised student answers and used probing questions to extend
the answers.
They provided a warm classroom climate by allowing students to
speak freely and by including personal humor or other attempts to relate to
students as people.
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[...]... the respondents’ oppinions about the evaluation criteria and their comments All of the questions are positive statements and the answers for closed questions are ranked into 4 options from strongly agreement to strongly disagreement 27 4 The participants All the teachers are teaching English in lower secondary schools aged from 25 to 45 and They are all full time teachers Their teaching experience ranged... and for personnel decisions, is the use of multiple methods of teaching evaluation involving multiple sources of data Evaluation system adopted is credible and acceptable when faculty members have a strong hand in its development Before departments and schools adopt teaching evaluation system, the faculty members should determine their criteria for effective teaching Departments and schools can then . Evaluation system
adopted is credible and acceptable when faculty members have a strong hand
in its development. Before departments and schools adopt teaching
evaluation
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