Instructional practices and the leadership role played by the teachers in teaching/ learning process

Instructional practices and the leadership role played by the teachers in teaching/ learning process

Teaching and learning are not independent processes belonging to the teacher and the student respectively rather they are the result of social interaction and the meanings the teacher and the students construct together. Unless and until interdependence of teacher and student in the teaching/ learning process is recognized and accepted education in our schools will continue to "produce students with certificates but not necessarily employability, students with grades but no creativity, students with degrees but not knowledge". Education does not just affect an individual's development but that of the society and the nation as a whole. Faced with global challenges the need of the hour is to strengthen the education system to make it competitive.

In Pakistan's private sector schools two strains of teaching systems are in practice, Matriculation and the O-Levels. In most of the cases the same teachers are teaching the Matric and O- Level classes but their methodology and mind sets are totally different in both. "Studies show a strong relationship between high expectations and effective learning. Low expectations are often an important factor in under-achievement."(K.Myers, 1996) For Matric students the teachers enter the classroom with a set mind to instill rote learning and make no effort whatsoever to promote analytical thinking or questioning mind and communicate low expectations to their pupils. Consequently no actual teaching and learning takes place in these classes, the teachers make their utmost effort to cram the prescribed syllabus in the students' minds. Success of the teachers and the students is measured by the marks they obtain in the examination organized by Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education.

On the other hand, we have the O level classes; here we have two sets of teachers, the professional teachers and the teachers by profession. The professional teachers cultivate analytical attitude among their students. These teachers adopt latest effective teaching techniques to make their classes interactive and thus promote active teaching/learning process. Such teachers plan their lessons to encourage the students to actively participate in the teaching/learning process, inside and outside the classroom, through pair and group work, peer interaction, classroom discussion, presentations, and now by integrating ICT in this process. Appropriate positive rewards and feedback are used for positive reinforcement. These teachers guide and encourage the students to participate in co-curricular activities like declamations, parliamentary debates, role play, preparing presentations, quiz, developing science models and other such activities related to different subjects to promote active learning and sharpening of skills.

Although many private sector schools are proactive and provide in service training to its teachers, but still a large number of teachers are not trained or do not put their training into practice in the classroom. It can bear the desired result only when the teachers are motivated to implement the effective teaching techniques in the classrooms to achieve a range of goals that will enhance learning, achievement and development amongst pupils.

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