Exploring differences in elementary science teachers' perceptions of effective teaching in District Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan: Comparison across school systems

Date of Award

7-2017

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Master of Education (MEd)

Department

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

Abstract

There is a universal perspective that teachers play the most important role in students learning. However, there is an ultimate requirement for teachers to understand what makes teaching effective. Therefore, understanding effective teaching, particularly science instruction is more multifaceted, as perceptions regarding effective teaching vary. With this backdrop, the current study aimed to explore the difference in elementary science teachers’ views of effective teaching across school systems in district Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan. Using a cross-sectional survey method, ‘Effective Teaching Quality Survey’ (ETQS) tool was directly administered to 130 participants, randomly selected from the government (n= 65) and private (n= 65) schools. The findings of this study illustrated that in overall, the elementary science teachers hold interesting views on various domains of teacher effectiveness framework. Teachers value classroom management and organization as the most effective aspect of effective teaching that enables them to focus the classroom time on students learning. Moreover, teachers selected safe environment, links instruction to objectives, student engagement, creative homework and fair treatment with students as their highest priorities for good teaching. Statistically, the difference was found to be non-significant, on most of the components of effective teaching, when compared the school type. It depicted that to greater extent teachers hold similar views across the school systems. However, interesting patterns of differences emerged in ETQS. The difference favored private schools for showing concern for physical and emotional well-being (p= 0.02) and monitoring student progress (p= 0.03) However, the pattern reversed for respect all students (p=0.03) as government school teachers have given more importance to these aspects than their private counterparts. This survey study possesses important intuitions into teachers’ perceptions of effective teaching across the school system at the elementary level for educational policies and classroom practices. ETQS would play an important role and contribute to literature. Furthermore, on the basis of ETQS large scale research studies could be carried out in future. There is a universal perspective that teachers play the most important role in students learning. However, there is an ultimate requirement for teachers to understand what makes teaching effective. Therefore, understanding effective teaching, particularly science instruction is more multifaceted, as perceptions regarding effective teaching vary. With this backdrop, the current study aimed to explore the difference in elementary science teachers’ views of effective teaching across school systems in district Ghizer, Gilgit-Baltistan. Using a cross-sectional survey method, ‘Effective Teaching Quality Survey’ (ETQS) tool was directly administered to 130 participants, randomly selected from the government (n= 65) and private (n= 65) schools. The findings of this study illustrated that in overall, the elementary science teachers hold interesting views on various domains of teacher effectiveness framework. Teachers value classroom management and organization as the most effective aspect of effective teaching that enables them to focus the classroom time on students learning. Moreover, teachers selected safe environment, links instruction to objectives, student engagement, creative homework and fair treatment with students as their highest priorities for good teaching. Statistically, the difference was found to be non-significant, on most of the components of effective teaching, when compared the school type. It depicted that to greater extent teachers hold similar views across the school systems. However, interesting patterns of differences emerged in ETQS. The difference favored private schools for showing concern for physical and emotional well-being (p= 0.02) and monitoring student progress (p= 0.03) However, the pattern reversed for respect all students (p=0.03) as government school teachers have given more importance to these aspects than their private counterparts. This survey study possesses important intuitions into teachers’ perceptions of effective teaching across the school system at the elementary level for educational policies and classroom practices. ETQS would play an important role and contribute to literature. Furthermore, on the basis of ETQS large scale research studies could be carried out in future.

This document is available in the relevant AKU library

Share

COinS