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Effective Teaching
An effective teacher is a scholar who shares knowledge, uses appropriate methodology, demonstrates and encourages enthusiasm about the subject matter, and shows a concern for students, all in such a way as to leave the student with a lasting and vivid conviction of having benefited from the instruction. No one-sentence definition, however, can possibly cover the range of talents, concerns and efforts that go into effective teaching or that are found in the varied departments and disciplines of an entire college. Some individuals would wish to add that effective teaching transmits specific skills or enhances talents that students possess; others note that good teaching develops habits of mind or provides models of scholarly behavior and inquiry more important than particular information. Still others tend to feel that effective teaching is an “art form” not subject to definition or formula. Several faculty interviewed stated that effective teaching is a matter of style and hence is hard to sum up or pinpoint.
Even so, many responses to our interviews suggest that the “science” of effective teaching can be described and analyzed in at least four broad areas. In the following presentation, no attempt has been made to list items in the order of importance.
1. Course Development and Design
- A. Effective teachers are goal oriented; they have well articulated goals which are clearly reflected in the course requirements. These goals can be articulated at several levels (long-term, end-of-semester, class-by-class).
- B. Effective teachers provide course outlines which are clear and indicate that the content coverage is suitable to the goals of the course.
- C. Effective teachers plan for opportunities for students to use and develop critical-thinking skills requiring them to synthesize, analyze, and evaluate a body of information.
- D. Effective teachers develop course materials that enable students to learn important aspects or master particular skills of a discipline for both short- and long-term enrichment.
2. Course Conduct
- A. Effective teachers keep current with new developments, not only in their own area of specialization, but also as a part of a larger discipline. they are able to demonstrate the relevance of course materials to current, real world events or to worthwhile life goals and broad humanitarian concepts.
- B. Effective teachers actively engage students in the material. Students regularly participate in discipline-specific activities.
- C. Effective teachers are concerned about their students. They keep communication lines open through office hours and other formal and informal means of being available to the students. One faculty member put it succinctly: “Good teachers like their students.”
- D. Effective teachers are flexible and provide an appropriate variety of learning methods and experiences. They are willing to change plans, syllabi, and approaches to adjust to student needs and responses. They are able to do this without compromising goals and quality of the course.
- E. Effective teachers are enthusiastic about the material they teach and try to inspire enthusiasm in the student. Many faculty interviewed regarded this as the most important element of good teaching.
- F. Effective teachers require students to use critical thinking skills.
- G. Effective teachers have high expectations for student learning. They encourage students by setting challenging but achievable goals and by showing respect for students and their opinions and abilities.
- H. Effective teachers are able to perceive numerous student misconceptions, and teach in a manner that minimizes them.
- I. Effective teachers maintain a degree of humility. As one put it, they take their subjects seriously but not themselves. Many adopt the role of fellow-learners with their students. Others point out that a teacher who “knows it all” can do students a disservice by keeping them from exercising their own minds.
3. Assessment of Student Performance
- A. Effective teachers create discipline-specific tests and exams that require an appropriate level of mastery of the subject matter. These and other measures of learning require students to think critically and creatively about the course content rather than display mere memory of facts and concepts. Thus a good test, exam, or other evaluation can itself be a teaching device.
- B. Effective teachers require a number and variety of assignments appropriate to the level and purpose of the course objectives.
- C. Effective teachers require students to learn to read and discuss professional material in the discipline in the appropriate courses.
- D. Effective teachers require students to use writing skills in appropriate courses.
4. Assessment of Course, Instruction, and Instructor
- A. Effective teachers are ones who are self-analytical and can define areas of weakness as well as strengths in their teaching. According to one Kinard Award winner, a good teacher is never satisfied but is always striving to improve. (“Why did I say that?” “How can I get this concept across more effectively?”)
- B. Effective teachers conduct systematic student evaluations of the course, reflect on this information, and take action appropriate to the recommendations and comments.
- C. Effective teachers seek input from peer evaluations and use them to improve instruction.
This list is by no means complete, but we do believe that it covers many of the basic areas that define an effective teacher. We believe that this papers should NOT be viewed as the beginning of a “check list” for trying to quantify whether a faculty member is or is not an effective teacher. Faculty should be given the chance to examine and comment on the definition and descriptions. This definition and criteria represent a preliminary analysis of effective teaching.
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