Assessment of EFL Pre-service Teachers’ Teaching Performance: Analysis of Classroom Videos Using the Danielson Framework for Teaching Evaluation Instrument

This study reports the results of the assessment of 84 EFL pre-service teachers’ teaching performance who completed a year-long practicum. The participants were videotaped during teaching for a total of ten times. All teaching videos were rated with the Danielson framework for teaching evaluation instrument, 2013 edition which consists of four domains and 22 components with four levels of performance for each component which includes unsatisfactory, basic, proficient, and distinguished. Three domains (planning and preparation, classroom environment, and instruction) including 16 components were used in this study. Analyzing data through a quantitative method found that the highest percentage of all teachers were rated basic, the lowest percentage of all teachers were rated distinguished. Interpretations of findings focus on unsatisfactory level are discussed in order to enhance the quality of teacher preparation programs.

Redefining Exceptionalism: The Importance of Removing Super Hero Language from Education

The concept of exceptionalism for some years has defined the way schools and society determine success. Abiding by this concept has become problematic for parents and students who believe they must achieve outstanding benchmarks to have greater access to opportunities. In addition, the Danielson Framework became a tool to identify which educators were operating under specific standards to ensure students’ impressive performance. How education chooses to reframe exceptionalism while redefining success will ultimately determine how effectively schools can best support teachers and students to obtain achievable and realistic goals.

The effect of utilizing danielson framework for teaching on teachers' perceptions of effective teaching

Inconsistent definitions of effective teachers and teaching among teachers and diverse classroom observation tools that supervisors of instructions use can have a negative impact on the instructional supervision process. The goal of this study was to address such issues by examining teachers’ perceptions of effective teaching behaviors and qualities before and after implementing the Danielson Framework for Teaching at a school in Beirut. The purpose was to create common understanding of the concepts of effective teachers and teaching among school stakeholders. The study addressed two research questions: (a) What are the perceptions of teachers regarding the qualities and behaviors of effective teachers before implementing the Danielson Framework for Teaching? (b) How did these perceptions differ after implementing Danielson’s framework? A mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative methodologies in a triangulation design was followed using a survey and a focus group interview respectively. A purposive sample of forty-one teachers (N=41) completed the survey, and seven teachers (N=7) participated in a focus group interview. Quantitative data results showed that the familiarity with Danielson’s framework generated more agreement among the participants on the elements of effective teaching as compared to the data before implementation. Qualitative data results revealed a shared understanding of the importance of having good classroom management and planning for instruction as elements of good teaching. Other themes emerged such as engaging students in the learning process and having professional responsibilities, but the participants showed less shared agreement on the importance of these. However, after implementing the framework, the qualitative and quantitative findings were more aligned: the theme, “engaging students in the learning process”, gained significance, and agreement increased among teachers on the importance of the four domains of Danielson’s framework for effective teaching. The findings of this study were compatible with the literature to a great extent. This study is the first to examine the effect of implementing Danielson’s framework on teachers’ perceptions of effective teaching in Lebanon. Further research to replicate and expand the findings of this study is recommended. Implications for practice include recommendations for school principals to develop a shared understanding of the qualities of effective teachers through implementing Danielson’s framework for professional development.

The Implications Associated with Teacher Perception and Understanding of the Danielson Framework in Selected High Schools in the U.S.A.

The improvement of teacher pedagogical practice is a central focus of contemporary school reform in the U.S.A. Moreover, the systematic evaluation of teacher pedagogical practice is viewed as an essential means to improve student achievement. The Danielson Framework is a theoretical construct that is widely used by school districts in the U.S.A. to conduct the evaluation of teachers. This paper is based on the summary findings of a study conducted in three selected suburban Chicago high schools in the State of Illinois. The study assessed teacher perceptions of their understanding of the Framework, teacher perceptions of their evaluators understanding of the Framework, and the extent to which teachers altered pedagogical practice as a result of teacher evaluation. Data were collected through survey, interviews, document analysis, and focus groups and were analyzed employing descriptive statistics and qualitative research methods to identify codes and themes. An analysis of the data revealed that there is an ongoing need to develop professional practices that enhance collaboration and deepen the mutual understanding among stakeholders of components within the Framework. While the survey results demonstrated a clear understanding of the Framework among the teachers, it was also revealed that teacher evaluation has a low impact on teacher’s pedagogical practice. There are important implications of this study related to teacher development and the targeting of particular components within the evaluation that are high impact. The study highlights the limitations of teacher evaluation as a tool to improve pedagogical practice. Implications for practice for school administrators responsible for the planning, development, and implementation of teacher evaluation are presented.

Making Inferences About Teacher Observation Scores Over Time

Observation protocol scores are commonly used as status measures to support inferences about teacher practices. When multiple observations are collected for the same teacher over the course of a year, some portion of a teacher’s score on each occasion may be attributable to the rater, lesson, and the time of year of the observation. All three of these are facets that can threaten the generalizability of teacher scores, but the role of time is easiest to overlook. A generalizability theory framework is used in this study to illustrate the concept of a hidden facet of measurement. When there are many temporally spaced observation occasions, it may be possible to support inferences about the growth in teaching practices over time as an alternative (or complement) to making inferences about status at a single point in time. This study uses longitudinal observation scores from the Measures of Effective Teaching project to estimate the reliability of teacher-level growth parameters for designs that vary in the number and spacing of observation occasions over a 2-year span. On the basis of a subsample of teachers scored using the Danielson Framework for Teaching, we show that at least eight observations over 2 years are needed before it would be possible to make distinctions in growth with a reliability coefficients of .39.

Cuestionario para valorar las prácticas de enseñanza en secundaria desde la percepción de los estudiantes//Questionnaire for assessing teaching practices in high school from the perception of students

RESUMEN La calidad de las prácticas de enseñanza es uno de los principales factores escolares que influyen en el aprendizaje de los estudiantes. Por lo que es importante contar con herramientas de evaluación del ejercicio docente, que permitan generar insumos para fortalecer el trabajo en el aula. El presente estudio tuvo como propósito diseñar un instrumento para la valoración de las prácticas de enseñanza en educación secundaria, a través de la opinión de los estudiantes. El modelo conceptual que sustentó su diseño fue el Marco para la Enseñanza de Danielson, Edición 2013. El proceso de desarrollo implicó: (a) elaborar un banco de ítems y obtener las evidencias de validez de contenido; (b) reducir el número de ítems, mediante un proceso de optimización de la medida; (c) generar evidencias de validez de constructo a través de un análisis factorial confirmatorio. Como resultado se obtuvo un instrumento de 30 ítems a través de los cuales se valoran tres de las cuatro dimensiones del marco de Danielson: (1) Calidad de la planeación y preparación de las actividades docentes, (2) Clima de aula, y (3) Enseñanza o instrucción.ABSTRACT The quality of teaching practices is one of the main school factors that influence the success or failure of student learning. To strengthen the work of teachers in classroom is necessary to assess their professional practice. This study was conducted with the purpose of designing an instrument for assessing the performance of teachers of secondary education, through the opinions of their students. The conceptual model used was Danielson´s Teaching Framework, Edition 2013. The development process committed: (a) to elaborate an item pool and identify evidence of content validity; (b) to reduce the number of items using an optimization process measurement; (c) to obtain evidence of construct validity through confirmatory factor analysis. The product obtained was an instrument of 30 items, which allow us to evaluate three of the four dimensions of Danielson framework: (1) Quality Planning and preparation of teaching activities, (2) Classroom climate, and (3) Teaching or instruction.

Using Observational Assessment to Inform Professional Development Decisions: Alternative Scoring for the Danielson Framework for Teaching

The Framework for Teaching (FFT) is one of the most widely used observational systems for evaluating teacher effectiveness and driving professional development conversations in schools. This study contrasts reliability and validity evidence relevant to the FFT as traditionally scored with evidence relevant to a composite scoring approach that connects to specific practice feedback. The FFT is typically interpreted at the domain level and at an overall total level using four categories of teacher effectiveness—unsatisfactory, basic, proficient, and distinguished—scored without computational rules governing relationships between the 22 components and four domains. For this study, the composite scoring approach was computed by averaging the components nested within each domain. A sample of 156 teachers and 34 trained school administrators from 12 high-poverty charter schools used the FFT as part of regular evaluation practices, yielding an extant set of de-identified data. Results indicate the composite scores were internally consistent at the domain and total levels. In comparison with traditional scores, the composite scores were more stable across time, as well as more predictive of student growth in reading and mathematics achievement. Implications for professional development and educator evaluation are discussed.

Coaching for professional growth in one Australian school: “oil in water”

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to build knowledge around the use of coaching to develop teachers’ professional practice in schools. It surfaces insider perspectives of teachers and school leaders in one Australian school, during the development of a model for teacher growth, which used a combination of cognitive coaching and the Danielson Framework for Teaching. Design/methodology/approach – A narrative approach to interview data were used to examine the perspectives of 14 educators – teachers and school leaders – involved in the implementation of a school-based cognitive coaching model. Findings – This study found that being a coach is an empowering and identity-shaping experience, that coaching for empowerment and capacity building benefits from a non-hierarchical relationship, and that coaching can be enhanced by the use of additional tools and approaches. Implementing a school-based cognitive coaching model, in conjunction with the Danielson Framework for Teaching, can have unexpected impacts on individuals, relationships, and organizations. As described by a participant, these butterfly effects can be non-linear, like “oil in water.” Originality/value – In examining teacher and school leader perceptions of a coaching model that trusts teachers’ capacity to grow, this paper shows what coaching and being coached can look like in context and in action. It reveals that cognitive coaching and the Danielson Framework for Teaching can be congruent tools for positive teacher and organizational growth, requiring a slow bottom-up approach to change, an organizational culture of trust, and coaching relationships free from judgment or power inequity. It additionally shows that the combination of being a coach, and also being coached, can facilitate empowerment, professional growth, and changes in belief and practice.