Abstract:

Conceptual understanding about effective teaching was explored among basic education teachers from public schools situated in the City of Manila. Teacher-respondents from kindergarten, elementary and high school levels (N=355) were asked to respond to a questionnaire with open-ended items from which qualitative research data were gathered. Thematic analysis served as the springboard for the identification of underlying themes and core related ideas as guided by four ‘a priori’ major categories embodied in the study’s conceptual framework. Five major themes ultimately emerged to characterize the conglomeration of conceptions of effective teaching from personality-based dispositions, teaching competence traits, content mastery and expertise, pedagogical knowledge and extension of the self. The study concluded that there was no single, predominant factor or heuristic that was identified upon which effective teaching is largely and/or solely contingent. Instead, effective teaching was viewed as a confluence of various dispositions, traits, knowledge, and skill sets. A new framework was crystallized to depict the five critical factors of effective teaching in the basic education. The resulting typical and variant core ideas of what effective teaching is, served as useful benchmarks in curriculum planning and re-designing of pre-service teacher education programs administered in teacher education institutions in the Philippines. Some implications of the findings to in-service teacher education were also established in the study.

Keywords:

Teachers’ conceptions, effective teaching, basic education, qualitative research.