This is the fourth webinar in the QUINT Observation Systems Seminars (OBS seminars). This series will discuss classroom observation systems as a tool for understanding and improving teaching quality.
This and upcoming OBS seminars are open for all interested parties. We want it to become a meeting arena for scholars genuinely interested in observation systems and related issues. Therefore we recommend that you join our network by subscribing to the network mailing list. You must confirm your email address in the confirmation email you receive to complete signing up to the mailing list.
If you are interested in presenting your research or have questions, please contact the organizer, QUINT Postdoctoral Fellow Mark White.
Program
In this seminar, taking place on June 9th at 9am ET/ 15.00 CET, Charalambos Y. Charalambous and Anna-Katharina Praetorius will be presenting work done in collaboration with Pamela Sammons, Temple Walkowiak, Armin Jentsch, and Leonidas Kyriakides on fostering collaboration among scholars working in the field of teaching quality. The title of the talk is Scaling-Up Collaborations in Research on Teaching Quality: A Chimera or a Feasible Endeavor?
Abstract: An examination of the field of research on teaching quality over the past two decades suggests that significant advancements have been made in conceptualizing, operationalizing, and measuring teaching quality. At the same time, however, scholars seem to be working in parallel, with few substantive opportunities to collaboratively reflect on teaching and its quality. We argue that doing so is critical to reach some common ground in research on teaching quality. In this presentation, we reflect on whether establishing wider networks among researchers in the field is feasible and explore ways for doing so. Toward this end, we first identify five categories of challenges that impede collaborative work: lack of common goals and agendas; differences in terminology and structure; difficulties in operationalization and measurement; insufficient transparency with respect to how we understand and study teaching quality; and limited funding. Then, we present initial ideas on how to address some of these challenges, and finally engage the audience in a discussion about enriching and refining the proposed solutions for doing so. We envision this discussion to set the ground for more collaborative work in the future.
About
Professor Anna-Katharina Praetorius
Teaching and Schooling, DIPF Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education
Research focus:
- Conceptional and methodical questions of teaching quality
- Professionalism of teachers
- International Comparative Educational Research
Assistant Professor Charalambous Charalambos
Department of Education, University of Cyprus
Research focus: Studying and assessing the quality of instruction, factors contributing to the quality of instruction and educational effectiveness in general (e.g., teacher knowledge, curricula and their use, unfolding of curriculum tasks during instruction with respect to their cognitive demands), exploring connections between the quality of instruction and student learning gains.