Assessing teachers’ use of language and their teaching quality
| Date | 08 October 2018 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-03-2018-0024 |
| Published date | 08 October 2018 |
| Pages | 466-475 |
| Author | Heidi Flavian,Doron Dan |
| Subject Matter | Education,Curriculum, instruction & assessment,Educational evaluation/assessment |
Assessing teachers’use
of language and their
teaching quality
Heidi Flavian
Department of Special Education and Teacher Training,
Achva Academic College, Shikmim, Israel, and
Doron Dan
Department of Teacher Training, Achva Academic College, Shikmim, Israel
Abstract
Purpose –Understanding the contribution of the use of proper language to thinking development and
learning processes, served as the basis of this study. The purpose of this study is to learn from parents,
teachers and teacher-traineeswhether their view of efficient teaching also relies on the teacher’s useof proper
language.
Design/methodology/approach –In total, 308 teacher-trainees, teachers and parents participated in
this mixed-methodstudy. Completing a questionnaire with open and closed questions,they were asked to rate
a teacher’s professionalismvia a written reflection, thereby gaugingtheir perspectives in regard to important
teacher characteristics.
Findings –The main finding was that teachers’intercultural knowledge and understanding of their
students’diversitywere perceived as significantly more important than their language register. Participants
did not argue that languagewas not important, but did not necessarily refer to it while assessingthe teacher’s
professionalism.No significant differences were foundbetween the chosen three groups of participants.
Research limitations/implications –Although thisstudy included a large number of participants, it is
the first of its type. As far as is known, no other study has been published in regard to people evaluating
teachers’professionalismon the basis of their language levelas expressed in written reflections.
Originality/value –From previous studies, it is taken for granted that people will evaluate teachers’
professionalism accordingto the language they use. Nevertheless, this study presents different perspectives
that might allowthe development of different and teaching and assessments methods.
Keywords Assessments, Teaching quality, Language register, Teacher professionalism,
Thinking development
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
Vygotsky and other researchers (in Kozulin, 1990) claimed that language, thinking and
learning are three components that promote cognitive development among all learners.
Therefore, educators are expected to include them while preparing all curricula and
implement all three components through a variety of learning experiences. Moreover,
researchers also claim that usinga high language register stimulates the quality of thinking
and learning. Therefore,teachers of all disciplines are trained to use proper language intheir
direct and indirect teaching processes, to allow both thinking development and subject
learning processes among all pupils (Argaman and Vaknin-Nusbaum, 2016;Karatsiori,
2016). Thus, K-12 pupils first study language (syntax and grammar), skills and uses
throughout a variety of programs and subjects. From another perspective, and beyond the
QAE
26,4
466
Received10 March 2018
Revised25 June 2018
Accepted13 July 2018
QualityAssurance in Education
Vol.26 No. 4, 2018
pp. 466-475
© Emerald Publishing Limited
0968-4883
DOI 10.1108/QAE-03-2018-0024
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