Personnel Economics - Essay Example

Download file to see previous pages... 1) stressed the organization of the educational system towards what is essential for students after the learning experience. The quality of the teacher is critical in this particular educational philosophy since it requires an understanding of what matters most on the part of the learner. There are many investigations undertaken exploring this theme. The work of Kramer and Pier (1999) and Nussbaum (1995) are cases in point. Each of these investigated what constitute effective teaching, best teaching practices, appropriate instructor behavior and a host of other variables that underpin an emphasis on the link between teacher quality and educational quality. Rockoff's (2004, p. 18) work, for example, depicted this as he found that raising teacher quality is key in improving student outcomes. The American educational system also emphasizes this as reflected in its policies, norms, standards and guidelines. Stakeholders such as the American National Association for the Education of Young Children (NYAEC) fiercely advocate the teacher certification and strict teaching standards for purposes of enhanced academic performance (File and Gullo 2002, p. 119). However, the empirical evidences as provided by the literature can be confusing as several strands of research focus on different aspects of the issue. This report will attempt to remedy this by focusing on two important research themes: the impact of teacher quality on educational outcomes and the impact of teachers' compensation on their performance. 2.0 Quality of Teachers and Children's Educational Outcome The NYAEC has outlined five important guidelines for 4-5 year institutions that would indicate preparedness on the part of the early childhood professionals (see Horm-Wingerd, 2001, p. 63). File and Gullo's (2002) work articulated this guideline further when they found how the capacity of teachers to address collaborative relationship with the learners' families; the ability to apply relevant early education theories; and demonstrate a thorough understanding of family structure, the learners cognitive development and their needs, constitute the ideal teacher quality. Several studies would confirm this. For instance, Wilcox-Herzog's (2002, p. 104-105) investigation on the relationship between teachers' beliefs and their actions revealed that training and the preparation required for early childhood teaching certification is an indicator of high level of involvement and verbalizations in the classroom because it contributes to the maturity, knowledge and confidence of the teacher. There are many researchers who have conducted studies that successfully quantified the impact of teacher quality and education outcomes. The works of Goldhaber and Anthony (2007), Vandervoort et al. (2004), and, Smith et al. (2005) are cases in point. These studies found the students who were instructed by teachers who took and passed the teacher's board certification fared better on standardized tests than those students who learned from non-certified teachers. File and Gullo explored the link between teacher quality and children's academic gains in their comparison of the outcomes of several academic curricula by assessing the performance of the teacher at the beginning and at end of the programs. The researchers found that teachers with better training and experience are better equipped to deal with classroom management issues as well as in demonstrating the best teaching practices ...Download file to see next pagesRead More