The Relationship between Teacher Quality and Students Results - Research Paper Example

?The Relationship between Teacher Quality and Results The learning environment provided at schools and colleges are maintained by setting up different rules and regulations. School policies are chosen in order to maintain a level of discipline, respect and stable learning setting. The part of these policies and procedures is the recruitment and selection of teachers. There are a number of reasons why this process is given a special attention and priority. The student’s interaction with the teachers in a regular manner is one of the factors that emphasizes on selecting a good teacher. The teacher’s skills in explaining, teaching and tackling the course content are also the factors that motivate a careful selection of teachers. Students’ reliance on the teacher’s abilities and knowledge is yet another factor which explains the importance of teacher’s contribution in the success of the students. Some argue that student’s success is dependent greatly on the teacher’s capabilities and skills. On the other hand, the counter claim emphasizes more on factors like curriculums, practical application of learnt concepts and group working as the success factors in upholding the student learning and results. However, much research provides that teacher quality can change the results seen in students, their performance and learning abilities. A good and capable teacher being assigned to students for consecutive years bring more advantage to the student’s learning pace. The difference between the results after being assigned to three different teachers in 3 consecutive years produce result which is 54 percentile lower than those who study from one good teacher for 3 consecutive years (Shaw & Kelley 2009). There has been a considerable amount of literature available which concludes that school input is less likely to make a difference in the learning process and pace of students. However, the recent researches suggest the contrary by concluding that school play a vital role in providing an input to the students which may positively impact the students’ learning and development. Studies specify the contribution of teachers to be a factor which, for the most part, is responsible for positive student responses in terms of learning and results. Wright et al. (1997), for instance, suggests that effective teaching works as a strong working force to support student learning than the class size, social statuses and any other factor involving students and the learning environment. They found that teachers who were ineffective could not higher the achievements of the students. The teachers act as mentors of the students and help them to get higher grades in their studies. In these instances many raise the question as to how one can classify the teacher to be effective or ineffective in nature. Research has been carried out to find out different variables that revolve around the teachers. It has been found that the variable of knowledge in the teacher has something to do with his effectiveness. But many argue that subject matter knowledge is not the most important factor in determining the effectiveness of the teacher. Experience is another variable that is supposedly very important in analyzing the effectiveness of the teacher. Experience and certification of the teacher is believed to help the teacher in delivering to the students. Delivery in the right way is required by the students to achieve higher grades (Hawk et al 1985). People who argue against the subject matter knowledge of the teacher put forward the fact that it can divert the teacher from delivering more than what is needed by the students. This can prove to be detrimental for the students as they would not be able to grasp all the things that the teacher would be teaching. However these teachers can provide excellent knowledge to the students if asked about any particular topic in it because of the qualifications that they have achieved. A research conducted by Monks (1994) found that the achievement of the teacher is directly related to the performance of the students. But if the teacher is over qualified then it is possible that the students would have to face problems at the hands of extensive knowledge. Experience is counted to be an important factor for how the teachers can teach at certain instances. Many studies have found out that experienced teachers turn out to be effective teachers than those who are inexperienced. Experience can be earned through different courses of teaching or by teaching students in a certain class. This experience is also somehow related to certification as the teachers are able to experience a class environment while completing their certification. This helps the teachers to deliver accordingly whenever needed. It has been found that inexperienced teachers do not produce great achievements in the classroom. But as time passes by the teachers can gain experience and use it accordingly after four to five years. Ferguson (1991) found that the certification and experience had a broad effect on the education of the students. This helped the students to easily understand the topics and improve their grades accordingly. In America the law No Child Left Behind has made it necessary for the schools to appoint teachers who are highly qualified for the job. An effective teacher has to observe well and measure the performance of the student so that specific steps are taken by the teacher. A quality teacher would act in accordance to the demands of the students and converse with them so that they do not feel alienated in the classroom. In 1998 it was found that the results of students were directly linked to the quality of the teacher (Hanushek et al 1998). The studies which are carried out to measure the performance and results of students in different subjects also individually call for the need of well prepared teachers. Teachers’ preparation programs, licensing and certifications are helpful means of preparing teachers or somehow enabling teachers to be effective. Teachers with certifications in the teaching field or licensing are observed to be more effective in terms of learning advantages for students as found out in the reading and elementary education, early childhood education and a number of other subjects (Roupp et al., 1979). Teachers with less education, training and experience are more likely to be dissatisfied with their jobs. Such teachers are found to have difficulties in scheduling syllabus, classroom management, tackling students’ weaknesses and making proper records of students’ performances (Bents & Bents, 1990). The incompetence and dissatisfaction with the job result in high turnover rates of such teachers (Stoddart, 1992). The incompetent teachers are, hence, not only dissatisfied with their jobs, are stressed out and rated lower in the school staff but are also the major reason of deteriorated results of students. Frequently changing the teachers lead to confusion in the students regarding the teaching styles and methodologies that each teacher adopts. This further leads to a negative impact on the results that students produce. The teacher quality enhances the effectiveness of learning process which further leads to better student performances and results. The studies included in this paper evade the reality that students’ achievements are directly related to the quality of teaching and effectiveness of the teachers. The experience, certification, teaching programs and policies are some detriments which indicate the effectiveness and credibility of a teacher (Darling-Hammond, 2000). Teacher quality depends on different variables in which the most important are qualification, licensing and experience. These factors indicate the teacher’s effectiveness in the teaching environment which aids the learning process and enhances the quality of education that students receive. Studies suggest that subject matter knowledge that teachers possess is another factor which is related to better students results (Byrne 1983). The effectiveness of teachers can be a source of higher grades for the students. If the school appoints a quality teacher, he can ensure that the students grab onto everything that he delivers. Moreover, in order to cope with the extensive curriculums the school would not have to opt for long hours in school for the children. Long hours at school result in the loss of interest of the students in their studies. A quality teacher helps in ensuring that the students’ time is being utilized efficiently in the standard school hours. Teacher effectiveness can be measured by analyzing the grades that students achieve without changing or extending the school hours. Longer school hours, in this respect, would not be welcomed by school authorities who already hire effective teachers in their faculty. In order to further understand and extend the research, there is a need to review the teacher performance measurement instruments and match the results with the student achievements (Milken 2000). The measurement of teacher’s performance should be comprehensive and directed towards the goals of finding the right connection or level of interdependence of student’s results on teachers’ quality. The relationship between teacher quality and students’ learning pace as well as the results they achieve, however, is evident through the research conducted. More research is required in order to understand the extent of relationship that exists between teachers’ performances and students’ achievements. References Byrne, C.J. (1983). “Teacher knowledge and teacher effectiveness: A literature review, theoretical analysis and discussion of research strategy”. Paper presented at the meeting of the Northwestern Educational Research Association, Ellenville, NY. Darling-Hammond, Linda. "Teacher Quality and Student Achievement: a Review of State Policy Evidence."Education Policy Analysis Archives. 8.1 (2000). Print Ferguson, R.F. (1991, Summer). Paying for public education: New evidence on how and why money matters. Harvard Journal on Legislation, 28,2, 465-498. Kelley, Carolyn, and James J. Shaw. Learning First!: A School Leader's Guide to Closing Achievement Gaps. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Corwin, 2009. Print. Milken, Lowell. Teaching As the Opportunity: The Teacher Advancement Program. Santa Monica, Calif: Milken Family Foundation, 2000. Print Monk, D. H. (1994). “Subject matter preparation of secondary mathematics and science teachers and student achievement”. Economics of Education Review, 13, 2, 125-145. Ruopp, Richard, and Nancy Irwin. Children at the Center: Summary Findings and Their Implications. Cambridge, MA: Abt Books, 1979. Print. SANDERS, WILLIAM L, S P. A. U. L. WRIGHT, and SANDRA P. HORN. "Teacher and Classroom Context Effects on Student Achievement: Implications for Teacher Evaluation." Journal of Personnel Evaluation in Education. 11.1 (1997): 57. Print. Sawchuk, S., "Studies Link Classroom Observations to Student Achievement," Education Week, April 26, 2011. Stoddart, T. (1992). An alternate route to teacher certification: Preliminary findings from the Los Angeles Unified School District Intern Program. Peabody Journal of Education,67, 3. Read More