BE THE CHANGE PROJECT: Creating Effective Teaching and Learning Environments

Medha Dixit, Fellow 2011- 13 6/17/2012

Teach for India

1

Table of Contents

Title Page No. Problem Statement 2 Five Why’s 2 Field Observation 3 Survey 4-5 Controlled Experiment 6 Survey Analysis and data presentation

7-10

Preliminary Conclusion 11 Proposed Solution 12 Logistics 13-14 References 15

2

Problem Statement

Teachers and the instruction they provide their students can have tremendous impact on student learning. Most people can think back to their school days and recall one or more teachers who made a real difference in their lives. Because of one particular teacher, a complex idea was understood, a special interest in a particular area was developed, or a desire to pursue a certain career was cultivated. Teachers’ impact on student learning depends not only on teachers possessing the knowledge and skills needed to facilitate student learning, but also on their motivation levels, consistent training and support, and their knowing when to use those skills and knowledge acquired to impact their students. A teacher’s performance in class affects the learning of all of his/her students’ and may lead to severe educational gaps resulting from any ineffectiveness. This indifference to a teacher’s performance disrespects teachers and gambles with students’ lives. In order to positively influence teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom, it is imperative to implement coherent, meaningful professional development programs and ensure that teachers are given adequate training, time, and support to put what they have learned into practice and improve their effectiveness in the classroom.

The 5 Why’s

1. Inability to effectively communicate: Majority of teachers in a low-income school belong to communities where English is spoken as a second language. The teachers are not well versed with English and are unable to communicate and instruct students effectively.

2. Deficiency in content/pedagogical knowledge: Teachers lack content knowledge and provide incorrect or half-baked information to students. This results in poor foundational skills and low academic achievement among students.

3. Low motivation levels: Teachers receive a low remuneration and are not sufficiently motivated to

teach. They consider teaching as a chore and are least interested in student achievement.

4. Lack of resources and support: Teachers do not have access to quality educational resources, teaching strategies, or management support to supplement student learning. Management is not invested in getting teachers enrolled for quality training programs for professional development.

5. Student: Teacher ratio: A teacher: student ratio of 1: 40 and above makes it increasingly difficult for

the teacher to be effective and address the needs of different learners in the classroom.

3

Field Observation

In order to arrive at an accurate cause for the gap in teacher effectiveness, I conducted the field observation in three classrooms, over the course of two and a half weeks, in my school. The details of the observations are listed below:

[March 8th, 2012, Thursday, 4:00 PM| PES, Grade 5| 30 minutes| Poonam S (Class teacher, grade 5)] Grade 5: The teacher was conducting a science class and instructing students on closed and open systems. The students were mostly attentive. At one point, when a group of students started talking among themselves, the teacher hit two of the students and threatened to send the other two out of class. Observations:

1. The content was not presented in an effective manner to engage students. The chapter was read from the SSC textbook and the teacher explained the content only once without checking for any understanding.

2. The teacher’s grasp over pronunciation was poor and her speech was marked with grammatical errors.

[March 12th, 2012, Monday, 3:40 PM| PES, Grade 1| 30 minutes| Rajam (Class teacher, grade 1A)] Grade 1: The teacher was taking a grammar class. She wrote sentences on the blackboard and asked the students to underline the nouns in the sentences while she sat correcting some workbooks. The class was noisy and she hit a few students to get them back on task. Observations:

1. The class size was 50. It was hard to control and manage such a large classroom. 2. The teacher did not seem invested in teaching. She seemed more concerned with checking workbooks. 3. She did not teach any content, so I was unable to gauge her language efficiency, but she scolded the

students in Marathi instead of English despite the fact that it was an English class, which indicates she’s more comfortable with Marathi.

[March 15th, 2012, Thursday, 4:00 PM| PES, Grade 3| 30 minutes| Sharda K (Class teacher, grade 3B)]

Grade3: I observed a Maths class. The teacher gave Math word problems and rounding questions on the board. The students worked quietly on their assignments. Any trouble makers were sent out of the classroom or hit with a ruler. They discussed the questions after about 15 minutes of work time. Observations:

1. The teacher had content knowledge but was not very effective in speaking with the students. 2. She kept alternating her speech between English and Marathi. Her command over English was poor. 3. She was unable to address and give attention to two students with learning disabilities.

4

Survey

BTCP Survey for Classroom Instructors Instructions:

While taking the survey, do not discuss questions with the other survey participants. Please select and circle your preferred responses.

Q1: Select the appropriate teaching experience that applies to you.

a) < 1 year b) More than a year but less than 3 years c) > 3 years

Q2: On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the most important and 1 being the least important) please rate the following as factors contributing to student achievement in a classroom.

a) Classroom management ____________ b) A warm, friendly and caring environment ____________ c) Teacher skills ____________ d) Teacher motivation ____________ e) Student participation ____________

Q3: In your opinion, which of the following will improve your effectiveness in the classroom the most?

a) Content knowledge b) Literacy skills c) Teaching strategies

Q4: Rate in the order of importance the following factors in determining student outcomes in a classroom: Teachers’ behavior, teachers’ skills, teachers’ knowledge

1. _____________________________________ 2. _____________________________________ 3. _____________________________________

Q5: Please choose your class average in Maths in the end of year final exams.

a) < 50% b) > 50% and <60% c) > 60% and <70% d) > 70%

5

Q6: Please choose your class average in English in the end of year final exams. a) < 50% b) > 50% and <60% c) > 60% and <70% d) > 70%

Q7: What do you see as the biggest limitation in instructing your students? a) Lack of resources to supplement teaching b) Administrative work eating into instructional time c) Inability to communicate effectively with the students d) Too many students to deal with

Q8: On a scale of 1 to 5, evaluate yourself as a teacher. Please circle the option that you feel best describes you:

a) 2 = Average b) 3 = Good c) 4 = Very good d) 5 = Excellent

Q9: On a scale of 1 to 5, how will your students rate you as an instructor? Please circle the option that you feel would be the most appropriate:

a) 2 = Average b) 3 = Good c) 4 = Very good d) 5 = Excellent

Q10: Do you believe that better spoken and written English skills will help improve your effectiveness in the classroom?

a) Yes b) No c) Not sure

Q11: Please describe in a few words your biggest challenge in the classroom. __________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

6

Controlled Experiment

Hypothesis: Proper training in spoken English and grammar usage improve teacher effectiveness and confidence while delivering instruction. Selection of participants: From the 16 teachers, two teachers were randomly chosen to conduct the controlled experiment. Control: Of the two teachers selected, one participated in week long trainings on the use of articles, the “-ing” verb form, and prepositions, while the other did not. Both were provided training on Story read alouds. The book used for the experiment was “Where the Wild things are.” Procedure: The experiment sought to gauge the effectiveness of grammar usage and communication while providing instruction. Both teachers were asked to conduct a Story read aloud in a classroom setting and explain the story to the pupils while reading along. The two participants teach grade 1 (Teacher A) and grade 3(Teacher B) respectively. Tools and Data Recording Procedures: On a scale of 1-5, 5 being the most effective and 1 being the least effective, the teachers were assessed on the following parameters:

Confidence Delivery Effective use of language/ grammar Engagement with the audience

Analysis and Conclusion Based on the hypothesis, if training in grammar and strategies, and teacher effectiveness has a positive correlation, the first teacher would perform better on the experiment. The table below lists the results of the experiment:

Confidence Delivery Effective use of grammar ( articles + ing form)

Engagement

Teacher A 3 3 4 3

Teacher B 3 2 2 3

As is clear from the table above, both teachers scored similarly on all parameters, except for delivery and effective use of grammar. This clearly indicates that the results of the controlled experiment are in alignment with the hypothesis.

7

Survey Analysis and Data presentation

Total teachers surveyed – 16 The objective of the survey was to identify the main cause/s of teacher ineffectiveness as it relates to low student achievement. The teachers were given clear instructions while taking the survey. Each teacher answered independently. Questions Analysis: Q1: Select the appropriate teaching experience that applies to you. Analysis: 87.5% of the teachers surveyed have been teaching for more than three years. It is safe to conclude that majority of teachers’ have been sufficiently exposed to classroom environments and are well aware of classroom dynamics. Q2: On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being the most important and 1 being the least important) please rate the following as factors contributing to student achievement in a classroom.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P

Classroom Management 3 3 1 4 1 1 1 3 1 3 4 1 3 1 2 1 Warm, nurturing environment 4 4 2 1 2 5 4 5 3 2 5 3 2 2 4 2

Teacher skills 5 1 3 3 4 4 5 4 2 1 1 2 4 5 1 4

Teacher motivation 2 2 4 2 3 3 3 2 4 4 2 5 5 3 3 3

Student participation 1 5 5 5 5 2 2 1 5 5 3 4 1 4 5 5

Comments / Analysis: Surprisingly, majority of teachers rated “Student participation” as the most important reason leading to student achievement. Only 4 and 5 teachers respectively, believe that a warm, nurturing environment and teacher skills are responsible for high academic achievement among students. This clearly indicates that teachers are unaware of the impact they can have on their students and the only way to address the gap in their mindset is to create awareness among them.

8

Q3: In your opinion, which of the following will improve your effectiveness in the classroom the most?

Comments/Analysis: Majority of teachers believe that getting more support and access to better teaching strategies would improve their effectiveness in the classroom. Q5 & Q6: Please choose your class average in Maths and English in the end of year final exams. Analysis: 62.5% classrooms have an average proficiency in Maths and English between 50 – 60%. There is clearly a huge gap in student learning as is indicative from the average scores. Q4: Rate in the order of importance the following factors in determining student outcomes in a classroom: Teachers’ behavior, teachers’ skills, teachers’ knowledge

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Content knowledge Literacy Skills Teaching Strategies

Improving effectiveness in the classroom

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Teacher's Knowledge Teacher's skills Teacher's behavior

9

Analysis: According to the responses to this question, 43% of teachers believe that their knowledge is the most important factor in determining student outcomes, while 40% attribute behavior to be the most important cause. Only 21% believe that teacher skills are most important in impacting students in a classroom. Q7: What do you see as the biggest limitation in instructing your students? Analysis: 81% of the teachers surveyed reported the class size as the biggest limiting factor in instructing students. Q8 & Q9: On a scale of 1 to 5, evaluate yourself as a teacher and evaluate how the students will rate you as an instructor. Please circle the option that you feel best describes you: Analysis: Bar graph to show the teacher’s perception of their effectiveness as instructors:

It is clear from the graph that the instructors hold themselves in good self-esteem. These questions may be a bit biased and would probably be more indicative if the students’ perception of their teachers could be gauged. Q10: Do you believe that better spoken and written English skills will help improve your effectiveness in the classroom? Analysis: 75% of the participants surveyed feel that better spoken skills will help them be more effective in the classroom.

0 2 4 6 8 10 12

Average = 2

Good =3

Very good =4

Excellent =5

10

Q11: Please describe in a few words your biggest challenge in the classroom. Analysis:

43% of the teachers surveyed revealed an inability on their students’ part to speak in English and considered it as their biggest challenge.

31% of the teachers raised concerns about students’ with learning disabilities and slow learners and see that as an area of concern.

25% of the teachers reported classroom management and differentiation as their biggest limitations.

11

Preliminary conclusion

Based on the field observation, it seems that the factors leading to low student achievement may be a mix of the following:

Lack of effective ways to engage students in learning Deficiency is spoken English skills Disinvestment on the part of teacher/s. An inability to differentiate and cater to students with different needs.

The survey results lead to the following potential causes:

A lack of effective strategies to improve instruction Lack of awareness about the mindsets that can produce exceptional results in the classroom ( Survey

Q3) Inability and some level of frustration over not being able to instruct well in English. Inability to address the needs of multiple learners. A very high Student: teacher ratio leading to ineffectiveness and low student achievement.

Looking at the results from the survey and field observation, there seem to be two overarching reasons for low student achievement as it relates to teacher ineffectiveness.

1. A clear need to build on teachers’ mindsets and their skills in terms of new teaching strategies. 2. Better spoken and written English skills to build on teachers’ instruction and delivery in the classroom,

in turn improving their efficiency and leading to improved student achievement.

12

Proposed Solution

The solution: In order to improve the teachers’ effectiveness in the classroom and to empower them personally and professionally, I propose to implement a professional literacy program focusing on two broad areas:

Language literacy Mindsets and Strategies.

Language Literacy will be addressed by focusing on the following areas:

1. Grammar 2. Writing

3. Speaking

Mindsets and Strategies will be addressed by focusing on:

1. Teaching strategies

2. Teach for network and other teaching best-practices videos

3. Exemplar teacher movies

Reasons for chosen intervention:

Language Literacy:

Grammar and Writing: The linguistic knowledge in English consists of the ability to analyze and recognize

the structural features and components in the language. These abilities are concerned with phonological,

morphological, syntactic, and semantic issues. The building blocks of the communication are grammatical

points which make the structure of a language. In order to speak fluently, learners should know how to use

different words and phrases in sentences. Hence, grammar learning and speaking are two significant poles in the

language learning curve and need to be addressed to improve instructional quality. Writing plays a critical role

in thinking and learning. Writing aids the cognitive process of recall and reinforces language learning.

Speaking: Speaking is "the process of building and sharing meaning through the use of verbal and non-verbal

symbols, in a variety of contexts”. Speaking is a crucial part of language learning and teaching.

Mindsets and strategies:

Changing the mind set of teachers and sharing teaching strategies with them is imperative to empower them and

make them mindful of their impact on student learning and achievement. This in turn can positively encourage

teachers to refine and adopt a different form of pedagogy.

13

Logistics

Resources The resources used will be as follows:

1. Grammar and Writing: In order to instruct the teachers I will be using grammar and writing resources

from Wren and Martin High School Grammar and Composition, and other online resources for worksheets and practice quizzes.

2. Speaking: I propose to set up a Toastmasters Club (Toastmasters International is a non-profit

organization promoting speaking and leadership skills) in the school to empower teachers in the art of

speaking confidently and conveying their ideas effectively. The course content will be similar to that

given out by Toastmasters.

3. Strategy and Mindsets: This would involve sharing Teach for India best practices with the teachers and

sharing other teacher resources. In order to change mindsets I will be focusing on sharing inspirational

stories through presentations, videos, movies, and mini-speeches followed by team reflection activity.

Stakeholders

Teachers from People’s Education Society:

1. Sharda K 2. Sonali Shivaji Sudrik 3. Archana Patil 4. Rekha Magharaj 5. Kalyani Argaonkar 6. Seema Singh 7. Varsha Nagap 8. Sonam Suresh Sawant 9. Vidya 10. Saraswati Shinde 11. Shraddha A. Shivade 12. Poonam S 13. Rajam Rajan 14. Hemagini 15. Priti 16. Poonam P 17. Vaishali 18. Manisha

14

Timeline:

Lectures will be conducted four times a month every Saturday from 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Resources/Budget Instructional content: Cost estimation for 15-20 course participants: 2200 – 3600 INR Man hours: 4-5 Man hours of preparation and execution time/week

Funding Acquisition Will need to discuss plans with school trustees for financial aid

Desired Outcomes

1. An improvement in language usage, and diction leading to better instruction and delivery in the classroom.

2. A change in mindsets leading to adoption of better pedagogical practices.

Sustainability

The project is sustainable for all future fellows assigned to the People’s Education Society, Dadar West, and

Mumbai.

15

References

1. http://www.helium.com/items/1525262-what-makes-a-teacher-ineffective

2. http://doc-aea.aide-et-action.org/data/admin/increasing_teacher_effectiveness.pdf

3. http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/17/51/43023606.pdf

4. http://www.mcrel.org/pdf/policybriefs/5032pi_pbschoolteacherleaderbrief.pdf

5. The Characteristics of Effective and Ineffective Teachers by By Richard T. Walls, Anne H. Nardi,

Avril M. von Minden & Nancy Hoffman :

http://www.teqjournal.org/backvols/2002/29_1/w02_walls_nardi.pdf

6. Research Paper: Effect of Grammar learning on speaking ability:

http://eltweekly.com/more/2010/03/53-research-paper-the-effect-of-grammar-learning-on-speaking-

ability-of-efl-learners-by-parnaz-kianiparsa-and-sara-vali/