Abstract:
This paper is concerned with how teaching improvement is achieved through observation, feedback and coaching. Teaching improvement has been identified as one of the key drivers influencing the rate and extent of school improvement (Hattie, 2016). School leadership teams are held accountable for ensuring the professional growth of teachers is at the forefront of any explicit improvement agenda. Formative teacher evaluation processes, for the purpose of identifying professional growth needs, play an important part in informing the progress of any school against the particular education system’s stated achievement standards.
Classroom teachers who are able to establish a positive learning environment are able to engage students more effectively which leads to improved academic outcomes. Teachers who are aware of their strengths and weaknesses are able to clearly articulate where they need to improve.
However, the correlation between teachers’ self-reported ability and their actual practices is not strong (Kaufman & Junker, 2011). Classroom observation and feedback is one way to achieve critical examination of pedagogical practice and allows teachers to become aware of things they might not otherwise have been aware. This knowledge has the potential to improve their practice.
This paper will outline a proposed doctoral study that examines Classroom Profiling (CP), as a formative teacher evaluation process. While practitioners who experience feedback through CP report a positive impact on teacher efficacy, classroom practice and student engagement, and it has been used for over twenty years and is currently being practiced in schools, little research into its actual impact on teacher practice has been undertaken.
Classroom teachers who are able to establish a positive learning environment are able to engage students more effectively which leads to improved academic outcomes. Teachers who are aware of their strengths and weaknesses are able to clearly articulate where they need to improve.
However, the correlation between teachers’ self-reported ability and their actual practices is not strong (Kaufman & Junker, 2011). Classroom observation and feedback is one way to achieve critical examination of pedagogical practice and allows teachers to become aware of things they might not otherwise have been aware. This knowledge has the potential to improve their practice.
This paper will outline a proposed doctoral study that examines Classroom Profiling (CP), as a formative teacher evaluation process. While practitioners who experience feedback through CP report a positive impact on teacher efficacy, classroom practice and student engagement, and it has been used for over twenty years and is currently being practiced in schools, little research into its actual impact on teacher practice has been undertaken.