Abstract:

This study examines the perception of teacher effectiveness and its role in optimising students’ learning in five private primary schools in Lagos State. It aims to understand the lived experiences and dispositions of teachers who have been defined as effective in the context of their schools and the wider Nigerian context and what they articulate are the factors that promote their effectiveness. Two research questions were addressed. First, how do effective teachers in private primary schools in Lagos State understand and describe their effective teaching and learning practices? Secondly, what are the personal qualities these effective teachers possess?

A theoretical framework derived from a synthesis of three existing theories was employed. They are the Dynamic Model of Educational Effectiveness (DMEE), Constructivism, and the Virtue Ethics Theory (VET). DMEE and constructivism were used as a framework in answering the first research question. They were supplemented with VET in order to gain insight into the dispositions behind teacher effectiveness, which answers the second research question.
This study was conducted as a multiple case study of five primary schools with five teachers selected from each school. Data were collected through interviews and unstructured observation and were then thematically analysed.

The findings from this study revealed teachers’ practices and personal qualities that are integral for effective teaching and students’ learning optimisation. They include: a. Professional Knowledge b. Instructional Planning c. Differentiated Instruction d. Formative Assessment e. Care and f. Practical Wisdom. The study recommends that Pedagogical Content Knowledge should be encouraged in teachers’ practice. Furthermore, professional development in the use of success criteria and Formative Assessment should be given more attention, as this is key to teacher effectiveness. Finally, Teacher Autonomy is essential for the development of Practical wisdom (Phronesis).

Keywords:

Teacher effectiveness, character, students' learning.