Hello all,
This is not my area of research at all (I'm in occupational psychology) - but am very interested in it for personal reasons. My daughter is in Year 7 in the UK and has three different teachers for English, the same applies for Maths and Science. I want to ask about the pedagogical rationale for having multiple teachers for one subject at parents' evening, but would like to go prepared. I can't find any research that supports this when I try searching the databases (or any that criticises it) - but this may because it's not my area so I'm not searching efficiently. Any information would be gladly received.
Many thanks, Claire
I guess three teachers teaching three different areas or teaching the same thing in three different ways.
Option 1: The teachers have expertise in different areas and are teaching thir own areas
Option 2: School is experimenting to find out best way of learning for the students and finally implement that.
In a devoping country like India, option 1 is generally followed. However, country like UK, pioneer in education research, option 2 is common.
You can search using STEAM Learning, Flipped Class, AR Learning.
etc.
Hope, you will have more information.
I guess three teachers teaching three different areas or teaching the same thing in three different ways.
Option 1: The teachers have expertise in different areas and are teaching thir own areas
Option 2: School is experimenting to find out best way of learning for the students and finally implement that.
In a devoping country like India, option 1 is generally followed. However, country like UK, pioneer in education research, option 2 is common.
You can search using STEAM Learning, Flipped Class, AR Learning.
etc.
Hope, you will have more information.
Having different teachers for the same course/subject is relatively helpful. Each subject has different core areas. Providing information from a more specialized professional in that specific core are is beneficial and is considered effective way of learning. Eventually, all teachers roles are important and complement each other which would have a positive significant impact on your child, the learning process, and the learning outcome(s). I hope that helps!
Dear Claire - Thank you for your question. I think there may be educational benefits from distributing the teaching load of one subject among three teachers. First, it could be related to sub-specialisation or areas of strength of each teacher in a specific component. Second, sometimes students may hate the whole subject because the teacher giving them the subject throughout the year is not communicating effectively with them. There maybe be poor chemistry in relationships. Dividing the subject among three teachers may make create a buffer zone. This may ensure the effectiveness of curriculum delivery for each subject. Third, the assessment will be divided among the three teachers. Again, most likely, this will minimise biases compared to one teacher-based estimate. Fourth, I would expect that the three teachers to communicate together as they evaluate and individualise feedback to students. Also, for parents, you will hear the evaluation of three rather than one teacher. Such feedback I believe more valid than and meaningful.
However, I think this process is not an easy task. The teachers have to organise things together and ensure harmony in the flow of teaching and schedule sessions. If there are contradictory messages or gaps or the delivery of content is not well integrated, this may be, Claire, the point that you need to discuss also if the feedback given on the same subject is not consistent or meaningless to the student and the parents. These inconsistencies show that the teachers are not working together behind the scenes to ensure integration, consistency, and harmony. I hope this gives you a good background and guide you.
My feelings, it is a good thing to have three teachers for the reasons I mentioned, provided that the process is well-studied, and teachers work effectively together to ensure consistency, and brief each other.
My question to you, and you may ask them, is this project based on a collaboration with a university? Is it part of a research project? Definitely, they need to get an approval of parents on such trials. But always be calm, listen and be supportive to the teachers and the school. This will resolve any misunderstanding. I encourage you to see the positive aspects behind it.
Best wishes.
Thanks all, and particularly Samy. Talking to my child, it seems to me that the arrangement is not well-co-ordinated - by the way, they now have four English teachers. The teaching is not divided according to specialism and my daughter says that she's been told some of the classes clash with the pupils in their final year, hence the arrangement. So it sounds as though it is led by timetabling issues as opposed to a having a sound rationale. One of my friends has a son who was given some Science homework by one of the teachers, only to be given exactly the same Science homework three weeks later by another of his Science teachers... I will, of course, be polite, listen and be supportive of the teachers in a conversation. I very much doubt that I will be able to change anything, but perhaps the senior leadership team will think about how the arrangement is managed.
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