February 22, 2005
Concordia University, Montreal
Recent Research
and Background
Reading
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Ensuring Supply, Training and Retention of Quality Teachers
C. Professional Development
Quality Instruction
As discussed in the Literature Review, teachers have a profound influence on the quality of their
students' educational experience. Teachers who are themselves evaluated highly tend to have
students who demonstrate good academic success. In addition to the quality of their training,
their depth of experience and knowledge of subject matter, teachers' expectations, performance
standards, and cultural understanding of their students and communities have all been shown to
positively affect student performance and behaviour.
As the capabilities, dedication, and work ethics of good teachers transcend cultural boundaries,
likewise, personal qualities such as the ability to show friendliness, acceptance, respect, and fairness,
seem to be particularly desirable traits for educators who are working effectively with Aboriginal
students. It is these same qualities that enable teachers to foster and develop the trust relationships
with parents that create effective educational partnerships between home and school and build
enhanced student success. Within this framework of effective teaching practices, let us consider
some common dimensions of instruction within the study schools.
Some common characteristics of the effective teachers in this study include:
The ability to create a warm, accepting, and supportive learning environment that is relaxed
and comfortable while maintaining focus on educational goals.
A commitment to student success that includes the belief that each student can learn, the
flexibility to adapt and experiment to find optimal educational programs and methods
for each student.
A commitment to performance-based education and the willingness to use appropriate
assessment tools to monitor student learning success and program effectiveness.
An attitude of solving problems rather than assigning blame, and the willingness to tutor,
coach, cajole, and encourage students towards their best personal achievement.
An understanding of and respect for local culture combined with the willingness to show
that it is valued by its inclusion in curriculum.
Involvement of parents in learning partnerships through frequent and effective
communication.
Training and Professional Development
Teachers interviewed felt that their training had adequately prepared them for their current
positions, although some beginning (less experienced) teachers experienced more difficulty
adjusting to the different cultures. Most commented that support systems, such as orientation
sessions, mentors, and, in larger schools or districts, access to pedagogical supervisors, consultants,
department heads and lead teachers provided worthwhile assistance, but that the greatest help
came from colleagues. Interestingly, authorities of schools in northern Alberta find that teachers
who come from small communities rather than large cities and who attended colleges seem to be
better equipped to work in their remote communities.11
Instructional Environment
A factor common to all schools in this study is the small size of instructional groups compared to
most provincial schools. Calculated from the numbers of teaching staff and student enrolments
provided, teacher/pupil ratios range from a low of 1/11 at Chalo to a high of 1/18 at Princess
Alexandra, with most schools falling between 1/14 and 1/16. Class size may well be an important
factor contributing to educational success by allowing more individual contact time between
teachers and students. Within classes, researchers observed that students were effectively grouped
for instruction. Teachers of primary classes tended to organize students into two or three groups
for instruction, particularly in reading, language arts, and numeracy, while teachers of older students
used both co-operative and task-based work groups.
Effective Use of Performance Data
A large factor contributing to the success of students in these schools is that teachers are willing to
engage each at her/his current level of academic attainment and do whatever is necessary to
enable greater success. To this end, a variety of measurements, including teacher designed and
standardized tests, are used to develop an accurate picture of each student's learning, to establish
base levels, to verify progress and the effectiveness of instructional methods and program material.
Rather than being threatened by provincial assessments and standardized tests, staffs of these
schools generally exhibit a positive attitude towards measurement tools that can help them to
know more about their students, an attitude summed up by one school principal who said, "We
love our children so much, of course we have to take these snapshots to see how much they've
grown!" While there are some valid concerns about the use of tests normed in different cultural
groups, the appropriate use of assessment material to measure the effectiveness of current
approaches, and establish priorities is a valuable part of the process of continuous improvement
which is a hallmark of effective teachers and effective schools.
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