Martha N. Ovando

Constructive Feedback: A Key to Successful Teaching and Learning

Feedback has been recognized as a tool to enhance the teaching‐learning process. Both teachers and students may benefit from relevant information which highlights strengths and achievements as well as areas for improvement. Constructive feedback should be systematic. Feedback for teaching and learning should be relevant, immediate, factful, helpful, confidential, respectful, tailored and encouraging if it is going to be effectively used to achieve successful teaching and learning. Furthermore, input from instructors themselves, students and peers should be sought in order to provide constructive feedback.

Preservice Teachers’ Connections of Pedagogical Knowledge to Mentoring At-Risk Adolescents: Benefits and Challenges

Providing authentic encounters with secondary students may be a way to provide a realistic image of students’ academic challenges, and enhance preservice teachers’ skills, knowledge, and dispositions to better address the needs of their future academically, linguistically, socially, and culturally unique students. The purpose of our study was to examine preservice teachers’ experiences in mentoring at-risk high school adolescents. Specifically, we sought to identify the connections to pedagogy associated with their mentoring experience. Major findings generated five themes: (a) relationship building, (b) academic immediacy, (c) embracing a professional lens, (d) a student-centered pedagogical philosophy, and (e) self-efficacy.

School superintendent development

School superintendents are in search of development opportunities that can help them enhance their leadership capacity in order to respond to new demands and changes in the environment. This paper focuses on the professional development behaviors of school superintendents identified through a comparative study of two groups. One group participated in a Diagnostic Executive Competency Assessment System (DECAS) and the second group did not have any assessment experience. Findings suggest that both groups of school superintendents tend to engage in development experiences and activities. While there are some differences in the development behaviors of these two groups, it is interesting that all school superintendents recognize improvement (of self, schools, and student achievement) as a motivation to enhance their capacity in several ways.

The supervision of teaching within a formal teacher appraisal system

Abstract The focus of this paper is on the supervision of teaching within the formal teacher appraisal system of the State of Texas. This system known as the Texas Teacher Appraisal System (TTAS) permits formal formative evaluation in which teaching observable behaviors data are used for self‐renewal by the teacher and summative evaluation in which administrative action for promotion purposes may be pursued. A brief description of the appraisal system is presented and the experience, using case study data, of the formative uses of the system is explained. It addresses the main components of the evaluation system and it describes the process of providing instructional support to teachers, emphasising the need for a collaborative approach to meet the teachers’ instructional needs.

Adjunct Faculty Teaching Needs: Meeting These Needs through a Faculty Development Programme

A presentation is given of the design, implementation, evaluation and follow‐up of a successful faculty development programme that is effectively and efficiently meeting the needs of both part‐time and full‐time professors at a private university in Mexico. It illustrates some features of effective programmes such as presentation of theory of skills, use of variety of delivery strategies, practice in simulated and actual settings, teaching performance feedback, coaching for application, individualisation, incentives for participation, and administrative support. Some advantages and disadvantages are also identified.

Individualized Learning Modules

Describes a format which has potential to respond to the different needs of individuals, the Individualized Learning Modules – its characteristics, components, and process – following a rationale for a differentiated approach to in‐service education, and a brief analysis of andragogy, the study of adults as learners. Highlights some additional benefits of this format. It may be effective in ensuring that teachers achieve professional development in a climate which fosters mutual respect, collaboration, productivity and satisfaction.