Correlates of teacher performance basis fof enhancement program at thai nguyen university

54 7 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Personal Characteristics of Teachers as to Social Aspects ……… 55 8 Weighted Means Distribution of the Professional Characteristics of Teachers

CORRELATES OF TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE:

BASIS FOR ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

_

A DISSERTATION Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Southern Luzon State University, Lucban, Quezon, Philippines

in Collaboration with Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY

This is to certify that the research work / dissertation entitled CORRELATES

OF TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE: BASIS FOR ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY, orally defended/ presented under the Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Management Program jointly offered by Southern Luzon State University of the Republic of the Philippines and Thai Nguyen University of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, embodies the result of original and scholarly work carried out by the undersigned

This dissertation does not contain words or ideas taken from published sources or written works by other persons which have been accepted as basis for the award of any degree from other higher education institutions, except where proper referencing and acknowledgement were made

NGUYEN DINH YEN

Researcher Date Orally Defended: May 31,2014

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

With sincere thanks for the encouragement, guidance and unselfish sharing of their knowledge, time, effort and skills, and for the untiring motivation that led to the completion of this study, the researcher acknowledges the following:

Dr Cecilia N Gascon, President of the Southern Luzon State

University in the Republic of the Philippines, for her untiring effort and belief that this collaboration is possible;

Dr Dang Kim Vui, President of Thai Nguyen University for allowance

the training for doctor of philosophy in educational management in international training center Thai Nguyen University;

Dr Apolonia A.Espinosa, his adviser, for her generous assistance,

invaluable advice, guidance, constructive comments thereby making this paper a scholarly work;

Mr Nicanor L Guinto, for extending his assistance in ensuring

consistency and comprehensibility of this study;

Panel of experts whose constructive criticisms led the researcher to

making this effort a true scholarly work;

The respondents for their patience and cooperation in answering the questionnaire;

The researcher’s family, colleagues, and friends for the love and support in one way or another, and

To those who have contributed to make this study a success

NDY

DEDICATION

This is whole-heartedly dedicated

To my family and relatives,

To my colleagues and friends,

and to all my classmates

NDY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

PAGE

TITLE PAGE ……… i

APPROVAL SHEET ……… ii

CERTIFICATE OF ORIGINALITY ……… iii

ACKNOWLEDGMENT ……… iv

DEDICATION ……… v

TABLE OF CONTENTS ……… vi

LIST OF TABLES ……… viii

LIST OF FIGURES……… x

LIST OF APPENDICES ……… xi

ABSTRACT ……… xii

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ……….… 1

Background of the Study ……… 3

Objectives of the Study ……….…… 4

Hypothesis ……… 6

Significance of the Study ……….… 6

Scope and Limitation of the Study ……….……… 7

Definition of Terms ……… 8

II REVIEW OF LITERATURE ……….……… 13

Personal Characteristics of Teachers ……… 13

Professional Characteristics ……… 22

Teachers’ Performance ……… 32

Conceptual Framework ……… ….……… …… 39

Research Paradigm ……… ….……… 41

III METHODOLOGY ……… 43

Locale of the Study ……….……… 43

Research Design ……….……… 43

Population and Sampling ……….… ………… 43

Instrumentation ……… ………… …….… 44

Data Gathering Procedure ……… 45

Statistical Treatment …….……… 46

IV RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS ……….… 48

Profile of Respondents ……… 48

Personal and Professional Characteristics of Teachers 50

Teaching Performance ……… 63

Correlates of Teachers’ Performance ……… 67

Proposed Enhancement Program to Enhance Teachers’ Performance of Thai Nguyen University School Year 2014-2015 ……… …… 73

V SUMMARY, FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Summary ……….……….… 77

Findings ……… 78

Conclusions ……….… 82

Recommendations ……… …… 83

REFERENCES ……… 84

APPENDICES ……… 88

CURRICULUM VITAE ……… 98

LIST OF TABLES

1 Respondents’ Frequency Distribution by Colleges ………… 44

2 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Demographic

Profile of Students - Respondents ……… 48

3 Frequency and Percentage Distribution of the Demographic

Profile of Teachers – Respondents ……… 50

4 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Personal Characteristics

of Teachers as to Physical Aspects ……… 51

5 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Personal Characteristics

of Teachers as to Mental Aspects ……… 52

6 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Personal Characteristics

of Teachers as to Emotional Aspects ……… 54

7 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Personal Characteristics

of Teachers as to Social Aspects ……… 55

8 Weighted Means Distribution of the Professional

Characteristics of Teachers as to Teaching Skills ………… 57

9 Weighted Means Distribution of the Professional

Characteristics of Teachers as to Classroom Management

10 Weighted Means Distribution of the Professional

Characteristics of Teachers as to Evaluation Skills ………… 60

11 Weighted Means Distribution of the Professional

Characteristics of Teachers as to Guidance Skills ………… 61

12 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Teaching Performance of

Teachers as to Commitment ……… 63

13 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Teaching Performance of

Teachers as to Knowledge of the Subject ……… 64

14 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Teaching Performance of

Teachers as to Teaching for Independent Learning ………… 65

15 Weighted Mean Distribution of the Teaching Performance of

Teachers as to Management of Learning ……… 66

TABLE PAGE

16 Relationship of Demographic Profile of the Teacher

Respondents with Teaching Performance ……… 67

17 Relationship of Age and Personal Characteristics of

Teachers with their Performance ……… 68

18 Relationship of Professional Characteristics and Teaching

Performance of Teachers ……… 70

LIST OF FIGURE

1 Variables in the Study on Correlates of Teachers’ Performance,

LIST OF APPENDICES

A Location of Respondent Colleges in TNU, Thai Nguyen

City, Thai Nguyen Province, Vietnam……… 89

ABSTRACT

Title of Research : CORRELATES OF TEACHERS’ PERFORMANCE:

BASIS FOR ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM

AT THAI NGUYEN UNIVERSITY

Researcher : NGUYEN DINH YEN (KAKA)

Degree Conferred : DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY IN EDUCATIONAL

MANAGEMENT Name and Address

of Institution

: Southern Luzon State University Lucban, Quezon, Philippines and Thai Nguyen University, Socialist Republic of Vietnam

Adviser : Dr Apolonia A Espinosa

Year Written : 2014

This study generally attempted to determine the correlates of teaching performance with a viewpoint of developing an enhancement program at College of Thai Nguyen University (TNU) for school year 2013, 2014 Specifically, it sought to find out the demographic profile of the respondents

as to age, gender, civil status, educational attainment,; determine the personal characteristics (physical, mental, emotional, and social) and professional characteristics (teaching skills, guidance skills, classroom management skills, and assessment skills); determine teachers’ performance

as to commitment, knowledge of the subject, teaching for independent learning, and management of learning; ascertain which of the above- mentioned factors relate to teachers’ performance; and develop an enhancement program based on the result of the study This research is a descriptive study which was limited only at TNU as locale since respondents were chosen purposively to include the total population of 145 teachers and

administrators of TNU, and 738 randomly selected students from the different colleges of TNU, who were asked to answer a researcher-constructed questionnaire The study used weighted mean, chi-square test of independence and Spearman Rho to examine the correlates of teacher’s performance at Thai Nguyen University In the light of the findings, the following conclusions are drawn: The student-respondents in the study, which comprised the greatest number, are single, college students whose age ranged from 18-25 years old, and equally represented both genders The teacher-respondents in this study were mostly married, female teachers whose age ranged from 23 to 53 years old and mostly possess MA/MS degrees The personal and professional characteristics of teachers were generally viewed by respondents to affect teaching performance The dissertation discovered that the respondents viewed the performance of teachers at TNU as to commitment (3.90 and 3.69), knowledge of subject (4.13 and 3.75), independent learning (3.80 and 3.67) and management of learning (3.79 and 3.56) as very satisfactory The study found that the relationship of gender, civil status and educational attainment of teachers with their teaching performance was at 1% level; the relationship of age and personal characteristics of teachers with their performance was significant at 1% level; the relationship of professional characteristics and teaching performance of teachers was at 1% of significance Finally, the enhancement program is ready for implementation In light of the findings and conclusions, it

is recommended that teachers should consider making personal and professional development a top priority to ensure quality in their teaching

Chapter I INTRODUCTION

Education is the sector that plays a big role in shaping the destiny of people in the future It serves as a social instrument that provides knowledge to people in schools and colleges not merely for the sake of facilitating continuity of culture but also rationally change the material foundations of civilization Education should help

in improving the students and introduce ideas and values that will arm them with capabilities and skills needed in their work

Higher education has several purposes - and one of the most important is to promote citizenship The second purpose is preparing people to be good human beings, to be good members of families, to be the kind of parents that create

responsible families and communities The other purpose involves educating people with world-competitive skills

Having said these, the teacher is the most important factor in the field of education Teachers develop performance style characteristic to their ways of

relating to the world, perceptually as well as cognitively A person is, therefore, likely

to act in a way that maximizes the use of his aptitudes Similarly, teacher’s positive attitude towards teaching and higher aspiration level determines his positive

perception of the environments

An effective teacher development design should have an exhaustive measure

of these factors so as to foster necessary skills and attitudes amongst prospective teachers The exclusive weight age to knowledge alone should be dispensed in favor

of more activity oriented programs which have direct bearing on actual classroom situation (UNESCO, 2002)

Teaching is the conscious planning and management of a situation in which a learner tries to overcome the learning problems It should comprise a series of

actions intended to facilitate learning as teaching for it is a multifaceted set of

activities The teachers, therefore, need to be a master of the subject matter as well

as an expert in the way content is delivered across a potentially diverse set of

students Thus knowing the ‘how’ of teaching is as important as the ‘what’ of

teaching

As teaching is considered to be a complex activity, the scholars and

researchers in the field of education have since embarked on exploring into and analyzing the teaching phenomenon However it is universally recognized that

teachers’ instructional performance plays a key role in students’ learning and academic achievement (Usop, Askandar, Kadtong, and Usop, 2013)

Performance is actions of a person or group during the task Job performance

is the product of a combination of an individual’s motivation and ability In 1976 the term students’ evaluation of teachers’ performance first gained familiarity in the ERIC system From 1976-1984 there were 1055 studies on students’ evaluation of

teachers performance These studies mostly found out that the performance of the teacher whether she is effective or not effective is not usually measured by the

quality of the students she has produced More often the teacher is blamed if the students failed to manifest the expected behaviour and the kind of learning they gained during the period of schooling This quality learning refers to the performance

of the students in the academic and their chosen field of specialization in the school and even outside Moreover, if the students were able to land a good job and

become successful, then they were given quality teaching and learned with laurels from her mentors with patience for years This is common baseline of teachers' effectiveness in the world of education According to Lardizabal, et.al (1991),

teaching is effective to the extent that a competent teacher acts in ways that are favourable to the development of a desirable personality This competency of the teachers will create a long lasting impact on the part of students And to the teachers,

they are effective if they are capable of bringing about a desired behavioural change

in the students

Background of the Study

Thai Nguyen University (TNU) was established by Decree No 31 dated on April 4th 1994 of the Government on the basis of the arrangement, reorganization of the university and vocational training under the Ministry of Education and Training in Thai Nguyen Currently TNU consists of seven universities, one college and two faculties, a defense education center, a learning resource center, publisher, hospital and high university for practicing the functional and scientific units for training and research

TNU is implementing the guiding ideology of the party expressed through resolutions of the eighth National Party Congress, which is to build training centers for research education and high-quality technology transferring in the region For over 10 years, the consistent policy of the Party and the State is to build and develop TNU and in fact, TNU has demonstrated the role, its position in the Vietnamese higher education system, particularly with the midlands and mountainous areas of northern Vietnam

Developing teachers is one of the urgent factors determining the quality of teaching and learning and developing Vietnam education system of universities nowadays With a large number of teachers at TNU, however factors correlating the efficiency of teaching have not been fully aware of There are no unified criteria which can be used to evaluate the teaching performance at TNU Therefore, which

competence and skills should be supplemented to fulfill successfully the teaching and learning task take a lot of concern at TNU

Moreover, little research appears to have been carried out on factors that improve teachers’ job performance, especially at Thai Nguyen University The

present study was thus carried out to judge teachers’ performance on the factors of personal characteristics and professional characteristics The present study will address the urgent need for base information to improve the teaching learning process It is believed that if the factors that influence teachers’ performance

at higher education level are controlled, the quality of education and teaching

learning process as a whole would become more effective

Objectives of Study

This study determined the correlates of teaching performance with a

viewpoint of developing an enhancement program at College of Thai Nguyen

University (TNU) for school year 2013-2014

Specifically, it sought to address the following:

1 Find out the demographic profile of the respondents as to

1.1 Age, 1.2 Gender, 1.3 Civil status, and 1.4 Educational attainment;

2 Determine the personal and professional characteristics of teachers as to:

2.1 Personal characteristics:

2.1.1 Physical, 2.1.2 Mental, 2.1.3 Emotional, and 2.1.4 Social;

2.2 Professional characteristics:

2.2.1 Teaching skills, 2.2.2 Classroom Management Skills;

2.2.3 Evaluation skills, and 2.2.4 Guidance skills

3 Determine teachers’ performance as to:

3.1 Commitment 3.2 Knowledge of the subject, 3.3 Teaching for independent learning, 3.4 Management of learning;

4 Ascertain which of the above-mentioned factors are related to teachers’ performance

5 Develop an enhancement program based from the result of the study

Null Hypothesis

None of the demographic profile, personal and professional characteristics of teachers correlates with teachers’ performance

Significance of the Study

This study was conducted in hope that the findings will be useful for students, teachers, deans and educational planners of Thai Nguyen University and future researchers who wish to embark on the same topic

Students of TNU This study will benefit them more importantly because the

findings of this study will aid the administration of Thai Nguyen University to draft appropriate actions to ensure that students are taught by teachers who are qualified

in their respective fields Eventually, they will be confident that they will graduate with the appropriate skills and competencies in their professions because the teachers who taught them have been holistically conditioned to be excellent in their fields

Teachers at TNU As teachers are usually overwhelmed by academic

workload and personal life every day, they tend to forget about reflecting whether their performance could still productively address the expectations of the community

on them Studies such as this one will not only let them keep track on what seems to

be affecting/ influencing their performance as teachers, it will likewise give them opportunities to explore possibilities to enhance themselves with the aid of the TNU administration

Deans and Educational Planners Since performance of teachers in

teaching and that of students inside and outside of the University reflects much on the kind of leadership, priorities, and idealisms of supervisors, educational planners, and the University administration in general, studies such as this one will enable them to keep track on the performance of the people – the teaching staff - who have the collective power of making a difference in the University’s profile Through this study, they will be enlightened on how improvements can be done to ensure the upward movement of the TNU community not only in Vietnam, but also the world

Future Researchers This study can serve as inspiration for researchers who

wish to conduct a similar study in their respective institutions They may use the results of the study as baseline information, or could be guided by its methodologies and strategies to pursue a similar path in studying about their teaching force

Scope and Limitations

This correlation study is primarily focused on finding the correlates of

teachers’ performance at TNU with an end view of developing an enhancement program out of the results gathered The correlates of teachers’ performance as to commitment, knowledge of the subject, teaching for independent learning, and

management of learning among demographic profile of the respondents as to age, gender, civil status, educational attainment, and position, factors that affect teachers’

performance as to personal characteristics (physical, mental, emotional, social), and professional characteristics (teaching skills, guidance skills, classroom management skills, evaluation skills) were determined

The study was limited only at TNU as locale since respondents were chosen purposively to include the total population of teachers and administrators of TNU, and randomly selected students from the different colleges of TNU, who were asked to answer a researcher-constructed questionnaire In case of analytical tools, the study has used arithmetic mean, regression analysis to examine the correlates of teacher’s performance at Thai Nguyen university

Definitions of Terms

The following are significantly used in this paper and are hereby defined conceptually an operationally for better comprehensibility:

Classroom Management Skills is the action taken to create and maintain learning

environment conducive to attainment of the goals of instruction – arranging the physical environment of the classroom, establishing rules and procedures, maintaining attention to lessons and engagement in academic activities (Brophy as cited by Yilmaz and Cavas, 2007 and further cited by Bayani, 2009)

Commitment is a specific area aimed to assess the performance of teachers Such

is concerned with their concern on students’ capability to understand/learn lessons, making the learning process a cooperative effort, availability to students, coming to class on time, good grooming, keeping accurate records

of students’ performance, among others

Correlates refer to the factors that are associated to teaching performance of

teachers at Thai Nguyen University as assessed by the students,

administrators, and teachers themselves

Demographic Profile of respondents in this study pertains to their age, gender, civil

status, and educational attainment

Emotional Aspect is a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers

Such aspect is concerned with their valuing of feelings and morale, fairness, power and conviction, integrity and dignity, composure, patience, attention to emotional as well as educational problems of students, interest and curiosity,

and emotional soundness

Enhancement Program is a set of planned activities based on a given benchmark

aimed at improving the quality of product or service In this study, the

enhancement program refers to the set of activities that the researcher

developed out of the correlates of teaching performance identified in this paper

Evaluation Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of

teachers Such skills are concerned with their giving of timely and specific feedback, keeping of assessment records, use of specific criteria for the accurate evaluation, selection and utilization of different types of tests, and submission of records, among others

Guidance Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of

teachers Such skills is concerned with their showing of interest in students’ problems and needs, provision for the maximum involvement of students, helping students develop self-discipline, and sympathy for the needs of

individual students, among others

Knowledge of subject matter is a specific area aimed to assess the performance of

teachers Such is concerned with their mastery of the subject matter, sharing

of information, integration of the subject to practical situations, and

demonstration of up-to-date knowledge, among others

Management of Learning is a specific area aimed to assess the performance of

teachers Such is concerned with their provision of chances for students’ participation, taking different roles, modification of learning-teaching

situations, and making use of instructional materials, among others

Management Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of

teachers Such skills are concerned with their identification of specific needs, interests, and capacities of individual students, identification of specific

learning tasks, evidence of mastery of subject matter, provision of varied learning experiences, selection, preparation and use of instructional

materials, preparation of the day’s learning activities, starting learning

activities, administration of tests, returning corrected papers, and achieving teaching objectives, among others

Mental Aspect is a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers

Such aspect is concerned with their planning of activities, insights on

classroom situations, critical thinking, fairness and equality, resolution of potential difficulties, attention to cognitive needs of students, possession of a sense of humor, possession of mental health and stability, and sound

decision-making

Personal Characteristics in this paper refer to teacher’s physical, mental,

emotional, and social aspects

Physical Aspect is a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers

Such aspect is concerned with their physical appearance, taste in the

selection and wearing of clothes, choice of accessories, smiles and eye contact, communication skills, voice, self-confidence in her well-being,

physical health, and mannerisms

Professional Characteristics of teachers in this study pertain to their teaching skills,

guidance skills, classroom management skills, and evaluation skills

Social Aspect is a specific area aimed to assess the personal skills of teachers

Such aspect is concerned with their understanding of the nature of students, dealing with different kinds of students, sympathy for the students, welfare for

others, discipline, morality, and manner of commending efforts for work done

Teaching for Independent Learning is a specific area aimed to assess the

performance of teachers Such is concerned with their use of different

teaching strategies, recognition of students’ individual performance, guiding students to attain course objectives, and helping students realize that they are

responsible for their classroom performance, among others

Teaching Performance refers to the ability of teachers to perform tasks expected

from them in the academe based on particular criteria set by different

institutions In this study, teaching performance is evaluated though four criteria namely commitment, knowledge of the subject, teaching for

independent learning, and management of learning

Teaching Skills is a specific area aimed to assess the professional skills of

teachers Such skills is concerned with their identification of specific needs, interests, and capacities of individual students, identification of specific

learning tasks, evidence of mastery of subject matter, provision varied

learning experiences, and selection, preparation and use of instructional

materials, among others

Chapter II REVIEW OF LITERATURE

As the present study aimed at discovering about the factors related to

the performance of teachers at colleges at TNU, the literature related to the study is

organized below This review will first discuss about concepts relevant to personal

characteristics of teachers and professional characteristics of teachers Afterwards,

studies on teaching performance will be underscored Finally, a research paradigm

will show the interaction of variables in the study presented through a diagram

Personal Characteristics of Teachers

Personal characteristics are the particular combination of emotional,

attitudinal, and behavioral response patterns of an individual Different personality

theorists present their own definitions of the word based on their theoretical positions

The teacher is the organizer and controller of the classrooms He builds future citizens of the country As he molds the students, so the country will be molded

From this point of view, a lot of responsibilities lie with the teacher to execute in his

day to day activities But teachers must be properly equipped to deal with

students They should develop necessary knowledge, skill, abilities and attitude to

perform their duties effectively

More than just a wealth of information is required to be an effective teacher

The task of the teacher is to teach students, not solely to convey information

Therefore, the value of teachers and the education they offer becomes manifest in

their ability to connect with students on a personal level This is why factors of

personality of the teacher such as physical, mental, emotional, and social characteristics are taken into consideration in this study

Physical Aspects

Sex, strength, beauty, and ugliness contribute to personality for they suggest social standards and attitudes as explained by Sanchez (1998) She further stated that grace or awkwardness of movement, sturdiness of hearing, the sharp or velvet voice, grooming, the ready smile and the gift of silence are items that enter into the total composition of someone’s personality

In relation to the teaching profession, Hamermesh (2013) stated that the teacher’s physical attribute is a contributory factor to their rating in evaluation

Although normally regarded as a non-important matter in teaching, his study proved how students may be slanted in assessing their teacher’s performance because they also take notice of the teacher’s looks as determiner of being given a good or bad rating

Lardizabal, et al (1991) revealed a similar finding regarding teachers’

personal characteristics which are rated highly by the students They disclosed that pleasing personal appearance, manner, courtesy, and pleasant voice ranked first as characteristics expected of a teacher

Barr (1958 cited in Orstein, 1990) recognizes “attractiveness” of the teacher

as one of the characteristics important for successful teaching To measure the teacher’s attractiveness, his/her dress, physique, freedom from physical defects, personal magnetism, neatness, cleanliness, posture, personal charm, and

appearance should be taken into account

The earlier statements were supported by Aquino (2003) when he mentioned that good grooming and poise contribute to becoming a superior teacher “A tasteful appearance accompanied by grace of manner… can be important assets in the classroom” (p 443) He pointed out that this does not only apply to female teachers, but also to the males However, he argued that good grooming does not equate to expensive wardrobe He explained that the clothes teachers wear can be anything that suits their personality

In this regard, Clavo (2005) cited seven grooming checklist to serve as guide

in determining whether a person’s physical characteristics fit social expectations They are appearance, clothes and accessories, non-verbal communication, eye contact and smiles, handshake, voice and volume of speech, and vocabulary

The preceding statements suggest how good grooming on the part of the teacher can say a lot about his/her performance as perceived by students It is thus imperative for teachers to maintain general physical well-being inside and outside of the classroom

Myers (2005) summarized this literature as, “Good looks are a great asset” (p 432): A physical appearance is the description of the physical properties of an object Most of the time, we judge a person by his /her physical appearance, in fact when we imagine about a beautiful woman, what all physical properties comes in our mind; slim, beautiful skin, beautiful eyes and so on Similarly when we imagine about a bad person or in fact thief, we think of big body, cruel faces etc

Physical appearance is the one factor of any person that influences the

environment very easily Physical appearance affects the ways; we look at other people and the way we look at ourselves It is the physical look of any person It is one of the most important factors of a personality This is what people look at you and what they think about you Physical appearance has the major impact on society Physical appearance is outward or visible aspect of a person or thing

Mental Aspects

Among other things, the teacher’s mental capacity to teach the subject he/she

is teaching is perhaps the characteristic that should be most basic of the teacher As such, he/she should be able to manage the cognitive demands of the curriculum and the learning needs of the students This is why Lardizabal, et al (1991) noted that before a teacher becomes one, he/she must undergo several years of pre-service

training to master his/her subject matter, be adept with professional education, and revitalize his/her understanding of basic knowledge They further explained:

In the subject matter education courses, the prospective teacher masters the field or fields of knowledge which he chooses to

teach In the general education courses, he studies different areas of

knowledge outside his special subject field He gets a broader outlook

of his specialized field In the professional education courses, the

prospective teacher gets to know and understand the educational and

physiological bases of the teaching-learning process as well as the

methods and techniques of teaching (p 9)

As such, his/her overall capacity as a teacher is honed during the pre-service training His/her mental capacity as a teacher, as noted by Clavo (2005), will be determined by the way he/she talks, the range of ideas he/she expresses, and the things he/she talks about, as well as his/her mental alertness

Aquino (2005) similarly emphasized that sound mental health with average intelligence is one of the desirable characteristics of superior teachers He explained that for the teacher to convey subject-knowledge to the students, he/she must grasp and understand the topic completely He/she must be willing to seek professional development through seminars, trainings, and graduate studies to further develop his/her mental capacity

above-University of Toledo, cited by Ornstein (1990), listed mental aspects as

personal characteristics of the teacher in their competency indicators under

instructional strategies They pointed out that demonstration of problem solving skills, evidence of transition and sequence of instruction, and evidence of knowledge in the subject area are contributory to evaluating teacher’s desirable characteristics in terms of the mental aspect

Emotional Aspect

Teaching is a profession that not only requires overall mental and physical well-being As teachers deal with students and other stakeholders in the community, they are similarly expected to possess positive emotional health that is essential in confronting everyday challenges that goes with it

This fact is echoed in Hargreaves’ (1998) paper on the emotional practice of teaching He pointed out that good teaching demands positive emotion “It is not just

a matter of knowing one’s subject, being efficient, having the correct competences, or learning all the right techniques Good teachers… are emotional, passionate beings who connect with their students and fill their work and their classes with pleasure,

creativity, challenge and joy” (p 835)

Darling-Hammond, Orcutt, Strobel, Kirch, Lit, and Martin (n.d.) explained how important emotions are in the classroom They mentioned that first; emotions have

an impact on learning They inspire our ability to process information and to better understand everyday encounters Second, learning how to manage feelings and relationships constitutes a kind of “emotional intelligence” that enables people to be successful They discussed that the concept of emotional intelligence can be derived from Howard Gardner’s multiple intelligences For Gardner, emotional intelligence deals with understanding oneself and others

Moreover, Darling-Hammond, et al discussed how emotional state can influence students:

Our emotional state has the potential to influence our thinking

Emotions can interfere with students’ learning in several ways; including 1) limiting the capacity to balance emotional issues with schoolwork, 2)

creating anxiety specifically about schoolwork, and 3) triggering

emotional responses to classroom events (p 90)

The preceding points significantly explain how much emotional well-being is integral to the teaching profession As such, assessment of effective teaching must likewise involve the emotional aspect

Learners were not getting the full benefit of the teacher’s expertise in the subject and in learning and teaching methods because of the teacher’s failure to use emotional intelligence This resulted in learners wasting energy on negative,

unproductive emotions, less satisfaction for the teacher and missed opportunities for enhancing the teaching session

Using emotional intelligence is a prerequisite for developing a good

relationship with a group of learners, which then can be the basis for producing learners who have: more engagement, greater motivation, a greater readiness to take risks in their learning, more positive approach, readiness to collaborate, and more creativity and tenacity

The term ‘emotional intelligence’ was coined by Peter Salovey and John D

Mayer (1990) Although broadly popularised by Daniel Goleman’s book Emotional

Intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ, Goleman has contributed little to the

field by way of research or conceptual development Salovey and Mayer have

defined emotional intelligence as “the ability to perceive and express emotions, to understand and use them, and to manage emotions so as to foster personal growth” and have used this definition to develop a framework of skills or competencies which can be used in turn to give rise to an overall measure of emotional intelligence In their model emotional intelligence is broken down into four components, each

representing a class of skills These components are - to some degree - hierarchical

in form according to their complexity They are also inter-related and interpenetrating, with the sub-skills within each category also organised according to their complexity and with the more complex sub-skills dependant on the skills from other categories The four categories utilised are (1) Perception, Appraisal, and Expression of

Emotion, (2) Using Emotion to Facilitate Thinking, (3) Understanding and Analysing Emotional Information and (4) Managing the Regulation of Emotion

The recognition of the role of emotions in learning and teaching in higher education is long overdue It does not mean that we have to sacrifice a higher

education which values and fosters coherent critical argument, independence of thought and academic rigour but that these aspects can be enriched by infusing them with humanity The neuroscientist Antonio Damasio’s explorations of the workings of the brain lead him to the conclusion that: ‘certain aspects of the process of emotion and feeling are indispensable for rationality.’ (Damasio 1996: xv) We need to

recognise and work with the power of emotions in learning by teaching with

emotional intelligence

Tormey (2005a: 11) has argued that, since our focus in global citizenship education or development education is to give rise to moral or ‘pro-social’ actions, we must: engage learners in their emotional life and in the contexts in which they live, to work with them to develop an emotional connection – a sense of empathy – with people across physical, social and cultural distances, to help them develop a

language for emotions and to become comfortable with them Similar arguments also been made in the related fields of education for societies in conflict (McCully, 2006) and in relation to intercultural education (Ireland, 2005; Tormey, 2005b) Such a learning environment does not simply happen; it needs to be facilitated by teachers who have the emotional skill to recognize emotions, to identify how emotional states are linked to modes of thinking, to make sense of emotional processes and to bring this to bear in managing their own emotions and those of others

surprising that research on teaching socialization has paid considerable attention to influences on teacher learning that come before any formal program of teacher education The social aspect of teaching is an interactive process that happens among students and other stake holders One consequence of viewing teacher socialization as an interactive process, however, is that teachers influence and shape the structures into which they are being socialized at the same time that they are being shaped by a variety of forces at many levels (Zeichner and Gore, n.d.)

In his regard, Lardizabal, et al enumerated personal and social competencies that are essential for teachers to possess: Observes the Teacher’s code of ethics and other pertinent rules and regulations of the school service; Sets the example in moral and ethical behavior to pupils, peers and the community; shows honesty and integrity in all his activities; accepts and performs leadership roles competently in the school and in the community; accepts and fellowship role whenever the need arises and assumes this intelligently; shows evidence of professional and cultural growth; gets along well with pupils, the school staff, and the community without

compromising rules of propriety; participates actively in cultural, professional, and other community organization activities; shows evidence of professional and cultural growth; shows evidence of mental health and stability; shows evidence of sound physical health; shows creativity and resourcefulness in his performance; prepares and submits neat and accurate reports on time; observes official time and is ready to serve beyond the call of duty when the need arises; and uses free time wisely

Professional Characteristics

Equally important with the personal characteristics of teachers is their

professional characteristics Effectiveness in teaching is generally assessed through their instructional competence which is considered inherent in the profession

Lardizabal et al., maintained that “in the Philippines, classroom teachers are rated by

their supervisors to help them improve on their teaching performance” (p 6) Such areas include teaching skills, guidance skills, management skills, and evaluation skills

Teaching skills

In the case of teaching skills, Charles County Public Schools [CCPS] (2013)

in the United States evaluate teaching skills of teachers in their country through three criteria: (1) selection and organization of subject matter; (2) motivation; and (3)

lesson development and implementation They stated that evaluation of teaching skills

in terms of selection and organization of subject matter, the teacher should have clear goals and objectives and clearly communicates them She should maintain compatibility with the curriculum; adapt subject matter to student needs, interests and abilities; teach prerequisite skills; recognize the sequence in which skills are developed; establish relationships between content areas; and promote parental understanding and

cooperation

In terms of motivation, the teacher is expected to develop student interest in learning; use appropriate problem solving strategies to develop higher level thinking skills; clearly communicate common goals to students; demonstrate sensitivity to the academic and social needs of students; and promote student interest and

participation in extra-curricular activities

When it comes to lesson development and implementation, CCPS requires teachers to appropriately allocate time, energy and resources; use teacher and student experiences for the enrichment of content; organize daily plans as a part of a larger unit; adapt instruction to unexpected situations; simulate student learning through varied questioning techniques; treat student responses appropriately; comply with system policy regarding nature and use of assignments; direct supervised study; use a variety of effective and realistic forms of student assessment and evaluation; adapt lessons based on immediate analysis of student responses; and develop

instructional approaches to improve student test taking skills

Meanwhile, Lardizabal at al.(1991) identified the following statements in assessing the teaching skills of teachers They are: identifies specific needs,

interests, and capacities of individual pupils and provides adequately for these; Analyzes and identifies specific learning tasks; Shows evidence of mastery of subject matter; Provides varied learning experiences for the development of communication, for work, and for interpretative and other basic skills involved in the learning tasks; Selects, prepares, and utilizes instructional materials and aids effectively in achieving teaching goals; Selects appropriate available community resources and uses these effectively in the teaching-learning process; Motivates the lessons and asks

questions effectively to develop critical thinking and creativity; Creates and tries out appropriate strategies and materials that meet the peculiar needs and problems of children; Communicates ideas effectively in Filipino; and communicates ideas

effectively in English

Guidance Skills

Every teacher is a guidance counselor Another inherent role every teacher is expected to perform is providing valuable feedback to students especially when it comes to discipline and behavior

“Every educator must realize his responsibility as a Guidance Counselor by right, commission and function Guidance is an integral part of being a teacher, a guardian and custodian charged with the overseer of a classroom full of educable

authority and many times, they disregard rules and regulations This is a dangerous signal that should not be taken lightly The low academic

achievement of students in school is related to breakdown of discipline How could you teach, how can you accomplish your activities in class

when there is no discipline? The absence of discipline is an obstacle to

quality learning (Jimenez, 2010: par 3)

This is why Lardizabal at al.(1991) indicated statements that could better assess the guidance skills of teachers They are the following: shows interest in pupil’s problems and needs and helps meet them; provides for the maximum

involvement of pupils in the learning activities; stimulates and compliments pupils to elicit positive and active interaction; functions effectively as a member of the learning group; and helps pupils develop self-discipline in and through the learning process

According to Skutley (2006), teachers were the providers of guidance in the schools Teachers feel as though their jobs are becoming more demanding, with increasing diversity, behaviour concerns, academic and personal/social needs of the students needing to be met They tend to center much of their attention on their classroom and the individual students within the room

Classroom Management Skills

Another significant skill expected from a teacher is classroom management skill Prior to any form of teaching activity, the teacher must routinely perform

activities that invite order in class and eventually motivate learners to study and interact in classroom discussion

Marygrove College (2012) offered five ways teachers can improve their

classroom management skills which are explained below as they appear in their website

1 Hope is not a classroom management strategy

If we’re honest with ourselves, Hollywood creations like Dead Poet’s Society’s John Keating (Robin Williams) have probably helped construct the ways in which we conceive of the ideal teacher Keating, a self-depreciating freedom fighter capable of liquefying any tin heart he touches, set the bar—and, boy, is it a tall one

Sure, Keating had his problems, but we don’t recall any of his students

kicking or swearing at him So let’s just set the ideal classroom aside and work with what we’ve got Resistant students are going to be a part of our lives…so why not simply embrace them? We can’t rely on hope alone to transform our classrooms, so why not start planning for a good challenge (just like we prepare our lesson plans) before the challenge arrives?

2 Make collaboration and mentoring a part of the culture

A semi-recent study (2007) found that beginning teachers often work 10 to 12-hour days creating lesson plans, grading, attending meetings and other

extracurricular school events This doesn’t even take into account the preparation and grading that happens on the weekends Why 10-12 hour days? There are a number of explanations, but here’s something to ask yourself: Does our school support collaboration, mentoring and teacher development?

The most effective teacher leaders are often those who work in schools that support team work and collaboration among colleagues When principals put an emphasis on teamwork, foster continuing education, provide curriculum building workshops, etc., teachers are more likely to grow, relax and collaborate

3 Role play or practice classroom management strategies

Teachers may intend to react to a disruptive student in a well-measured way, but that can go out the window in an instant It’s one thing to read about classroom management in a book and another to experience misbehavior or disruption

firsthand We improve through practice and mimicry Why not have teachers role play

hypothetical classroom management experiences with a mentor or colleague?

4 Save your energy and let technology do the talking for you

If students are particularly rambunctious, there’s no need to strain your voice

or get frustrated Give some of these sly, low-energy maneuvers a try: quietly walk over to the light switch and flick them on and off; walk over to your computer, click on your Spotify app and slowly turn up the volume on, oh, how about Chopin’s

“Nocturne for Piano, No 8 in D flat Major.” This will silence them Pull out an object that is associated with the lesson, hold it up and start looking at it Ask your students

to tell you what they see; then ask them why you brought it Know when enough is enough Teachers can facilitate independent learning through deliberate surrendering

of certain prerogatives and the acceptance of responsibility by the learner

So you’ve verbalized and modeled clear expectations; you tried being

assertive rather than antagonistic; you spoke with the student after class like we suggested in a recent classroom management blog? It didn’t work? When all else fails, swallow your pride and kindly ask the student to sit outside of the room or head

to the office As Mike Anderson suggests, we need to debunk the myth that “good teachers should be able to handle student meltdowns by themselves.” This simply isn’t true

Having mentioned these, Lardizabal et al (1991) offered five statements that could be used by supervisors in evaluating teaching performance with respect to management skills They include: Prepares adequately for the day’s learning

activities; Starts learning activities promptly; Provides a permissive and stimulating atmosphere that encourages pupils to raise questions and suggest alternative

solutions to problems; Administers tests effectively and returns corrected papers and other pupil’s work promptly; and Achieves teaching objectives to the optimum degree possible for the particular subject, lesson, or activity within a reasonable period of time

Classroom management is the term educators use to describe methods of preventing misbehavior and dealing with it if it arises In other words, it is the

techniques teachers use to maintain control in the classroom

Classroom management is one of the most feared parts of teaching for new teachers For the students, lack of effective classroom management can mean that learning is reduced in the classroom For the teacher, it can cause unhappiness and stress and eventually lead to individuals leaving the teaching profession

Almost everybody agrees that strong classroom management skills are

essential for successful teaching But many teacher education programs don't

provide courses to help future teachers develop those skills So what is a principal to

do with a new teacher who has great potential but needs help with classroom

management? Education World's "Principal Files" principals have "The

Plan." Included: Advice and resources for developing classroom management

superstars

Proactive Classroom Management: Proactive classroom management (PCM)

is about classroom organization and teacher behavior that are likely to prevent the occurrence of problem behavior The components of PCM have been established as evidence-based practices to prevent problem behaviors and improve academic performance It places emphasis on two critical variables that are associated with learning The first is instructional time, which refers to the amount of opportunity students have to learn, and the second is academic engagement, which represents the amount of time students actually attend to the academic task at hand

Classrooms in which students engage in high rates of unruly behaviors are

associated with less instructional time and less academic engagement by students (Sutherland & Wehby, 2001) Thus, the better a teacher is able to manage his/her students, the more time they will have to deliver instruction and the more students will be engaged in learning Effective instructional strategies that produce high

student engagement are both critical for learning and for behavior! Classrooms with

an emphasis on lecture and independent worksheet completion have been shown to produce high rates of problem behavior, whereas classrooms with more effective strategies and higher meaningful participation in learning produce higher

achievement rates and lower rates of defiance and other problem behaviors The following are the 16 proactive classroom management strategies that have been shown to produce independent improvements in academic engagement and

reductions in problem behavior

Classroom behavioral expectations are posted, taught, reviewed and

known by every student

Strategic establishment of positive relationships with all students in the class (teacher intentionally reaches out to each and every student to get to know them and learn about them) Simply knowing the name of each student is not

Transitions are taught and managed well

Independent seatwork is limited for skill fluency practice and managed effectively when used

Competent communication with all students is observed

(reprimands/corrective statements are delivered in a non-threatening way)

Teaching, modeling, and reinforcing desired prosocial classroom skills (following directions the first time, actively listening, waiting patiently, sharing with others, etc.)

Teacher mobility and proximity control is used (teacher does not stand in one spot Keeps students alert by tracking the teacher and teacher uses proximity control as a method to redirect problem behavior)

A motivation system to reward desirable behavior is in place

Goal setting and performance feedback is routine

Visual schedule of classroom activities is used

Cuing systems to release and regain student attention and foster high student engagement are used

Five positive comments, gestures, and interactions to everyone correction, reprimand, or negative interaction

Smiling and being nice!

Providing students with numerous opportunities to respond to teacher questions (choral responding, random asking of students, etc.) and interact with classmates over learning content (pair-share)

(Short URL: http://sywtt.com/eUAtXZ): It’s one of the most underrated

professions in the world – most people assume that you don’t need any special skills

to be a teacher, yet few realize that it takes a great deal of effort and ability to handle

a classroom full of students You not only have to be thoroughly knowledgeable in the subject you’re handling, you also need to know how to control a class and

maintain discipline and order in it In short, to be a good teacher, you also need the following classroom management skills: Authority, Knowledge, Individualization, Time-management, and Patience

Evaluation skills

Finally, another significant skill that a teacher should be well acquainted in is his/her skill in evaluating student learning Skills of teacher evaluation and

accountability in education must, according to Eckard and McElhinney (1977), be given increased attention by all educators They added that evaluation and

accountability are more widely practiced with teachers than at other levels in school organization Teachers usually have three sources of data which include: pupil

scores on standardized tests; notes made following two or three classroom visits; and The completion of a judgmental checklist of behaviors not related to pupil

The preceding statements prove that teaching is not an easy task It requires individuals to possess different skills that are regarded as inherent in the profession Disregarding even one of such skills can spell a large difference not just for the school, but more importantly for the students Hence, school administrators should always be on guard and ensure that skills which may collectively be regarded as their weakness should be strengthened on the in-service teachers through enhancement programs that administrator may develop as informed by research

Teachers’ Performance

Teacher’s performance in teaching has been a widely popular research area among educators and scholars It is a common belief among educators that the skills