M.ED

SUBJECT- TEACHER EDUCATION

MODULE 4

TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS

TOPIC 4

Use of Sign System, Category System,

Portfolio Assessment, Academic Performance Indicators in Teacher Effectiveness

INTRODUCTION

Effective teachers are those who achieve the goals which they set for themselves or which they have set for them by others such as Ministries of education,

legislators and other government officials, school/college administrators.

Effective teachers must possess the knowledge and skills needed to attain the goals, and must be able to use that knowledge and those skills appropriately if

these goals are to be achieved.

TEACHER EFFECTIVENESS

In Medley’s terms, the possession of knowledge and skills falls under the heading of ‘teacher

competence’ and the use of knowledge and skills in the classroom is referred to as ‘teacher

performance’.Teacher competence and teacher performance

with the accomplishment of the teacher goals, is the “Teacher Effectiveness”.

(A) PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

PORTFOLIO

Diane Hart defines a portfolio as “a container that hold evidence of an individual’s skills,

ideas, interests and accomplishments”.

MEANING OF PORTFOLIO

A teacher portfolio is a collection of work produced by a teacher.

Just as an artist uses a portfolio of collected works to illustrate his or her talents, a teacher portfolio is designed to demonstrate the teacher's talents.

Thus, teacher portfolios are constructed by teachers to highlight and demonstrate their knowledge and skills in teaching.

A portfolio also provides a means for reflection; it offers the opportunity for critiquing one's work and evaluating the effectiveness of lessons or interpersonal interactions with students or peers.

EXAMPLES

A portfolio may include:• Teacher Background• Written examinations: National Teacher's

Exam, State licensure tests.• A personal statement of teaching philosophy

and goals.• Documentation of effort to improve one's

teaching: seminars, programs, etc.

• Graded student work such as tests, quizzes and class projects.

• Video/audio tape of classroom lessons.• Colleague observation records.• Written reflections on teaching.• Photographs of bulletin boards,

chalkboards or projects.

Ideally, a teacher portfolio is a document created by the teacher that reveals, relates and describes the teacher's duties, expertise and growth in teaching.

USES OF PORTFOLIO

A teacher portfolio is an education tool, which is primarily used in two ways.

1. Portfolios are used as a means of authentic assessment in evaluating the effectiveness of a teacher for licensure and/or employment decisions.

2. Teacher portfolios are used to provide feedback to teachers so that they may improve their teaching and level of professionalism. As a form of authentic assessment, teacher portfolios may play a major role in the overall evaluation of a teacher.

The majority of the programs that use teacher portfolios are pre-service teacher education programs. These programs use portfolios to increase reflection and provide an ongoing

record of a teacher's growth.

The portfolio provides a vehicle for assessing the relationship between teacher choices or

actions and their outcomes.

ADVANTAGES OF USING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

Allows the evaluators to see the student, group, or community as individual, each unique with its own characteristics, needs, and strengths.  

Serves as a cross-section lens, providing a basis for future analysis and planning. By viewing the total pattern of the community or of individual participants, one can identify areas of strengths and weaknesses, and barriers to success.

Serves as a concrete vehicle for communication, providing ongoing communication or exchanges of information among those involved.

Promotes a shift in ownership; communities and participants can take an active role in examining where they have been and where they want to go.

Portfolio assessment offers the possibility of addressing shortcomings of traditional assessment. It offers the possibility of assessing the more complex and important aspects of an area or topic.

Covers a broad scope of knowledge and information, from many different people who know the program or person in different contexts

Example: participants, parents, teachers or staff, peers, or community leaders).

A well-designed portfolio assessment process evaluates the effectiveness of your intervention at the same time that it evaluates the growth of individuals or communities. It also serves as a communication tool when shared with family, other staff, or community members. In school settings, it can be passed on to other teachers or staff as a child moves from one grade level to another.

DISADVANTAGES OF USING PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT

* May be seen as less reliable or fair than more quantitative evaluations such as test scores.

* Can be very time consuming for teachers or program staff to organize and evaluate the contents, especially if portfolios have to be done in addition to traditional testing and grading.

* Having to develop your own individualized criteria can be difficult or unfamiliar at first.

* If goals and criteria are not clear, the portfolio can be just a miscellaneous collection of artifacts that don't show patterns of growth or achievement.

* Like any other form of qualitative data, data from portfolio assessments can be difficult to analyze or aggregate to show change. 

CONCLUSION

• Thus, the portfolio provides a vehicle for assessing the relationship between teacher choices or actions and their outcomes.

(B) ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Meaning of Performance Indicators:

A performance indicator or key performance indicator (KPI) is a measure of performance which usually define the success factor. It is a method to measure the degree

to which key objectives are achieved.

Performance Indicator provides examples of observable tangible behaviours for each standard i.e. Performance Indicator are examples of types of performance that will

occur if a standard is being successfully met.

API for teacher:

It is Academic Performance Indicator (API) score that indicate the performance of an faculty / researcher in academics and research.

DEFINITION

“Performance Indicators are observable and measurable statements about what leaders do

to ensure effective teaching and successful learning by every student”.

OBJECTIVES OF THE PERFORMANCE INDICATOR

• To assess current situation and determine root causes of identified problem areas.

• To set goals and expectations,• To trend the performance of the selected individual.• To keep a record and tell a story.• To help new teachers achieve their full potential.• To provide fair, effective and consistent teacher

evaluation in every educational institution.• To promote professional growth.

VARIOUS PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Teaching quality:

Credentials, knowledge and experience that teacher brings with them when they enter the class rooms such as degrees, experience are parts of the teaching quality.

Research:

This indicates that teachers as academicians aim to obtain projects as many as possible.

Paper publication:

This shows awareness of general view that academic staff must produce publication that confirms their standing as academicians.

Consultancy:

This includes opportunity to obtain an industrial attachment or contribute as an advisor as per requirements.

Communication skills:

The effectiveness of the communication will determine the success of the teacher.

Example:- Possesses strong communication skills, offering clear explanations and directions.

Concern for students:

The degree to which the teacher contribute to their students learning.

Example:- Uses students prior knowledge to facilitate student learning.

Co-curricular activity:

Contribution of a teacher in activities apart from the teaching for the students overall development.

Example:- Arranging exhibitions, essay writing, story telling, sports day, celebrating days of significance (English, Marathi, Hindi, Science) etc.

Currently updated:

The degree to which an academician is updated with the current environment and can link the current happening with his or her teachings.

Example:- Making use of language laboratory to develop English vocabulary/speaking skills, co-operative learning techniques, team teaching, e-learning etc.

Leadership:

The ability to lead or guide the students in various areas.

Example:-

(1) To help the child make educational plans consisted with his/her abilities, interests and goals.

(2) To guide the students in selection of a career.

Class room management:

The way an academician manages the class effectively and efficiently. Organizing a classroom can be a daunting task. Following are the considerations for classroom management and organisation:

Example:- Time management, materials, space, student behavior (classroom rules, procedures, routines) etc.

CONCLUSION

Thus, the Performance Indicators are an important component of a coherent system of leadership

development and serve as a resource to recruit, train, guide, and support high-quality leaders

needed in our nation’s districts and schools. The performance indicators help teachers and their

evaluators clarify job expectations.

Effective teacher do not just “happen”. They are constantly working to improve their

practices through continued learning, action research and listening to the parents, students

and communities they serve.

THANK YOU