Inspectors’ general perceptions of MOET’s evaluati- 123docz.net

The set of criteria was regarded as good guide to inspectors’ evaluation practice.

According to the inspectors, it could be used as an effective tool for evaluating teacher’s lesson. Inspector 1 stated that,

This is a scientific work. The criteria help to focus teachers on what they have to do so as to have a good lesson. Inspectors can use the set of criteria as guidelines for making fair and objective judgements about teachers’ lesson.

However, like teachers, the inspectors expressed the need to elaborate some general points in the criteria and add some more requirements so that the criteria would be more suitable for the assessment of an English lesson. Inspector 2 pointed out that,

We should know that English is a special subject and that there are more than one single type of lesson in the textbook. Therefore, the criteria need to be elaborated and corresponding indicators need to be provided for the sake of fair evaluation of the English lesson.

2.4.2.2. Inspectors’ interpretation of MOET’s evaluation criteria Criterion 1: Subject matter knowledge is accurate and scientific.

According to the inspectors, teachers should deliver accurate subject matter knowledge in terms of grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation. This was elaborated by Inspector 1 below:

Teachers need to present accurate grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary. The use of vocabulary should be contextually appropriate. The indication of correct grammar is correct use of tenses, prepositions, or articles …Correct pronunciation means native-like pronunciation. Teachers need to master correct pronunciation especially in a language focus lesson.

Criterion 2: Subject matter knowledge is systematic and adequate; teaching points are made clear

The inspectors held high opinions of a lesson with systematic knowledge. The indication of systematic subject matter knowledge was that teachers covered all parts

(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10(LUAN.VAN.THAC.SI).Teachers''.and.inspectors''.perceptions.of.an.effective.English.lesson.M.A.Thesis.Linguistics.60.14.10

prescribed in a lesson. This, according to the inspectors, meant the skill or language items of the lesson should be thoroughly dealt with.

Systematic knowledge is understood as the full coverage of the matter of language knowledge or language skills in the lesson. In a skill lesson there need to be three stages: pre-stage, while-stage and post-stage, while in a language focus lesson teachers should go from examples of the language items to drills and vice versa.

Also, the knowledge content needs to be provided in order of difficulty” (Inspector 1)

However, the inspectors also highlighted the importance of making teaching points clear in the lesson. Inspector 2 stated that,

Teachers are encouraged to deliver their lesson on the basis of standardized knowledge and skills. The most important thing is to make teaching points clear.

That means the main skill of the lesson and main grammar structure need to be well- touched .

Criterion 3: Subject matter knowledge is related to real life and educational

The inspectors said that English should serve well communication in real life situation.

What teachers should do was to provide students with real life teaching content so that they would develop communicative skills. This was elaborated by Inspector 1 and 2 that,

English must be closely related to real life. Teachers should relate what students learnt in class to what close to their life. (Inspector 1)

Based on the topic and grammar points of the lesson teachers can create situations close to students’ real life so that students will have opportunity for further practice (Inspector 2)

Criterion 4: Teaching methods are appropriate to the subject and lesson types.

In the inspectors’ views, what method to be used depended on each type of lesson.

There should be appropriate method adopted for each skill. Inspector 1 provided his explanations for this below:

Appropriate methods are aimed at enhancing student comprehension of the teaching points of the lesson. Appropriate methods vary according to lesson types. For example, in the speaking lesson, students need much time to practice speaking. In the reading lesson, the teacher needs to help students write down the correct answers and then practice the questions and answers until they are mastered. In the writing lesson, teacher should arrange individual writing practice instead of group writing.

This was shared by Inspector 2 when he stated that,

Teachers need to use the method appropriate to each skill. For example, in speaking lesson, students need to be encouraged to speak much not sit in silence. The use of teaching aids to enhance student learning can also be understood as appropriate method.

Criterion 5: Teaching methods are well combined in teaching and learning activities.

The combination of methods was encouraged in teaching. In the inspectors’ views, good combination was teachers’ use of different activities instead of the prescribed ones in the textbook or the use of mixed methods in teaching activities. This was elaborated by them as follows:

At the post-stage of a reading lesson, a number of activities such as speaking or writing can be applied if the teacher sees that the prescribed activities are not interesting enough or suitable for students’ level. (Inspector 1)

There is never a single skill dealt with in a lesson. Instead, mixed skills should be addressed. For example, in a reading lesson, after reading activity, a reporting activity is possible. However, the main skill intended to be developed in the lesson needs to be carefully dealt with. (Inspector 2)

Criterion 6: Teaching aids are used effectively and appropriately.

Effective use of teaching materials was understood as the use of the materials suitable with a particular situation. Below are what emphasized by Inspector 1:

Teachers need to make the most of what available in their school such as cassettes tapes, posters, realia …or hand-made teaching aids. Materials shouldn’t be too costly. They need to be recycled and help teachers to save time.

Whether or not the materials were effectively used depended on how they interested learners and were appropriate to different activities. For example, Inspector 2 said,

In the writing lesson, at the correction stage, teachers can use projector to give feedback to student’s writing, which is considered appropriate, as all students can look at the writing and teachers can draw students to the mistakes.

Criterion 7: There is good use of the board; lesson plan is appropriate.

According to the inspectors, the use of the board was appropriate when teachers drew students’ attention to important knowledge of the lesson and students found it easy to follow. Inspector 1 said about this as follows:

Important knowledge must be written on the board for students to write down. What written must be linguistically correct to avoid making students confused. This is all about good use of the board .

Regarding the lesson plan, the inspectors said that good lesson plan included identification of objectives, stages of the lesson and teacher’s instructions in class:

A lesson plan is considered to be good when it guides teachers through their performance in class with clear objectives and clear instructions to the tasks (Inspector 1)

Criterion 8: Teaching procedures are carried out flexibly; time is allocated appropriately for the activities.

According to the inspectors, teachers should be flexible in organizing learning activities and allocate time for the activity in a sensible way so that more time should be spent on student practice activities. Inspector 1 and Inspector 2 clarified this as follows:

More challenging tasks are used for good students while explicit explanations are appropriate to weak students. Weak students need more time at presentation stage.

(Inspector 1)

Teachers should devise activities that are at students’ level and that interest them. For example, for weak students, teachers should give out step-by-step instructions and shouldn’t expect them to do much. Students’ strengths also require teachers to be flexible in time allocation for each activity. Generally, weak students need more time than good students. (Inspector 2)

Criterion 9: Teacher organizes and guides active learning; the activities are appropriate to lesson types and particular students; students are motivated.

According to the inspectors, one more good aspect of class management was active learning, which teachers should develop in the lessons. Students must play a central role in learning process. Below are what Inspector 1 said about active learning and how learning tasks should be organized:

The indication of active learning is that most students are involved in the lesson.

They have opportunities to express their own ideas in discussion activities. However, teacher’s organization of tasks should take students’ language proficiency level into consideration. Tasks should not be too difficult for weak students while good students should be provided with extra activities.

Criterion 10: Most students understand the lesson, master teaching points and know how to apply what has been learnt to new situations.

According to the inspectors, students learning outcome was good reference for deciding whether a lesson was effective or not. This was identified by the students’ active participation in the tasks and a good learning atmosphere in which the majority of students could fulfill the given tasks successfully (Inspector 1, Inspector 2).

2.4.2.3. Inspectors’ suggestions about criteria for an effective lesson

Inspectors’ ideas for the criteria for lesson effectiveness center on a number of aspects such as teaching methods, teaching procedures, teaching aids and teaching manner.

Teaching methods

The inspectors focused on teaching method considering it an important criterion for an effective lesson. In their opinions, to have an effective lesson, teachers should:

- give good modeling or ask good students to model.

- provide easy tasks before difficult ones

- provide clear teaching points and spend more time on this.

- give clear instructions to the tasks.

Lesson completeness

The inspectors put an emphasis on the completeness of the lesson. They stated that teachers needed to follow adequate procedures of the lesson. This was elaborated by Inspector 2 that,

Teachers should cover sensible steps from warm-up activity to presentation of the new language and practice. They should provide necessary knowledge for students so that they can do well in practice stage. Extra situations should be set up to help students to have chance for further practice.

Teaching aids

It was also noted that the inspectors were aware of the essential role of teaching aids in teaching activities. Their view was that teaching aids should be used appropriately with each activity of the lesson and stage of the lesson. Following is what Inspector 1 said about the use of teaching aids:

Appropriate teaching aids are practical, can be recycled and help to save time for explanation. Teaching aids must be used on regular basis to make lesson more attractive and more effective.

Inspectors’ general perceptions of MOET’s evaluation criteria

Criteria for evaluating lesson effectiveness

Teachers’ interpretation of MOET’s evaluation criteria