CHAPTER 2 EXAMINING PUPIL ATTAINMENT AND PUPIL PROGRESS WITHIN THE
2.4 An Overview of Educational Effectiveness Research
2.4.6 The Multi-Dimensional Character of Educational Effectiveness
This section looks beyond the more universal models of educational effectiveness by Creemers (1994) and by Kyriakides, Creemers and Antoniou (2009) and beyond the specific model of teacher effectiveness as by Campbell et al. (2004) to establish theoretical connections between the operators of teacher, school and educational effectiveness in each of these models. Effectiveness at the classroom and the school level cannot be adequately examined without taking into account factors at each level of the educational hierarchy (de Jong, Westerhof & Kruiter, 2004; Mortimore et al., 1988; Opdenakker & Van Damme, 2000a; Teddlie & Stringfield, 1993). Creemers and Kyriakides (2006) recommend that the concept that educational effectiveness is differential should not be polarized against other models of effectiveness but should be incorporated as a refinement of generic models. Therefore, Table 2.2 below incorporates the criteria of effectiveness (Creemers, 1994) with the dimensions of effectiveness (Creemers, Kyriakides & Antoniou, 2009) with the concept of
differentiated teacher effectiveness (Campbell et al., 2004).
Table 2.2 - Forging Links between the Comprehensive, Dynamic and Differentiated Models of Educational and Teacher Effectiveness Differential effectiveness (Creemers & Kyriakides, 2006)
Criteria Comprehensive model (Creemers, 1994)
Dimensions Dynamic model (Kyriakides, Creemers & Antoniou, 2009)
Differentiated teacher effectiveness (Campbell et al., 2004)
Consistency Conditions for effective instruction are in line with one another
Frequency The quantity of an activity associated with an effectiveness factor
Cohesion Teaching staff must exhibit effective teaching characteristics
Focus The specific/general function of an effectiveness factor
Constancy Effective instruction must be provided during pupils‘
school career
Stage The time period in which an activity takes place
Control Learning goals and school climate must be evaluated
Quality The properties of an activity Differentiation The extent to which an activity
is implemented
similarly/dissimilarly across subjects
Instructional differentiation: time, stability, subject consistency, different people, different working environments
Differentiation of teacher roles
In The Model of Differentiated Teacher Effectiveness, differentiation is limited to teachers‘ instructional differentiation and the differentiation of teacher roles. In The Dynamic Model of Educational Effectiveness the dimension of differentiation alongside with the dimensions of frequency, focus, stage and quality are not limited to the classroom level but also refer to the school and policy level. If the operation of educational effectiveness is determined by the frequency, focus, stage, quality and differentiation of educational, schooling and teaching activity, how do the effectiveness criteria of consistency, cohesion, constancy and control fit-in? In spite of their diverse functions, Figure 2.5 hereunder considers the connections between the criteria and the dimensions of educational effectiveness as operators of educational effectiveness acting at the policy, the school and the classroom level.
Figure 2.5 – Operators of Educational Effectiveness consistency
cohesion constancy
control
frequency
focus
stage quality
differentiation
policy level
school level
classroom level stability Policy, school
and classroom levels ―house‖
effectiveness conditions.
The criteria of consistency,
cohesion, constancy and control describe the operation of effectiveness
conditions.
The dimensions of frequency, focus, stage, quality and differentiation define the measureable aspects in the operation of effectiveness conditions.
In Figure 2.5 above, the operators of effectiveness are conceptualized in an atomic fashion. For example, frequency refers to the quantity of an activity characteristic of an effectiveness factor such as teacher behaviour and teacher beliefs. Consistency is a criterion that refers to conditions for effective instruction that are in line with one another. In Figure 2.5 above stability is included as an operator of effectiveness even though this was not discussed in Table 2.2. Stability refers to the regularity in the effect of educational factors and characteristics over time. Within the systemic operation of an organization no operator stands alone. Similarly, stability is connected to other operators such as constancy and stage. Consistency or the alignment of conditions for effective instruction, across and within schools, is partly controlled by the frequency and quality of instructional activity conducted by the teachers who manage classrooms and the quality of organisational activity by head teachers who manage schools. The alignment of conditions for effective instruction within schools implies that predominantly organizational conditions at the school level support conditions for effective instruction at the classroom level. Conversely this implies that when organisational conditions at the school level do not favour effective instruction at the classroom level than educational conditions are not as well aligned and that conditions are not as supportive for the development of an effective school.
The frequency and quality of school and classroom level activity can exert a positive or a negative influence for pupil progress. The strength and direction of this influence operates effectiveness There are also other criteria and dimensions other than consistency, frequency and quality that operate educational effectiveness. When activity at the classroom and at the school level is positive for pupil progress and the positive effects of such activity stable in and over time than this activity is effective.
Conversely, when activity at the classroom and school level is negative for pupil progress and the negative effects of such activity stable in and over time than this activity is ineffective. Interplay between the criteria of effectiveness, other than consistency, and the dimensions of effectiveness, other than frequency, is also plausible. For example, for educational staff to exhibit cohesion, senior members of staff, such as the head teacher, must establish conditions for teaching staff to become aware of the influence of their activity for pupil progress, to implement activity positive
for pupil progress in and over time and to vary their activity in respect of the learning needs of different groups of pupils.