The Three Unanswered Questions of Eisner

 

The Three Unanswered Questions of Eisner

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

 

Abstract

 

The purpose of education has evolved in response to societal needs and the situation and requirements of the situation. (Salon, 2012). Education is something that prepares anyone for life through the acquisition of varied contents and skills and it is determined by how the curriculum is designed and implemented. It is the process that facilitates teaching and learning through varied means in which the learners can acquire values about life and skills for life to become complete human beings. Dewey pointed out that the very purpose of education is to create a realization of one’s ability to identify the pre-determined skills in hand (Talebi, 2015). On the other hand, Teachers are regarded as the most influential people in society in shaping its youth through the dissemination of knowledge and building their capacity to live effectively. Thus, a good school comprises quality teachers with quality curriculum and quality instructions through good leadership and proper accountability of work. While going through Eisner’s (n.d.) text “What Does It Mean to Say a School Is Doing Well?” is left with unanswered questions. Thus, this write-up tries to discuss three selected questions with answers.

 

Discussion on the Three Unanswered Questions of Eisner

 

On page 301 in the third paragraph, Eisner asks “What might we pay attention to in schools in order to say that a school is doing well?” Discussing in the context of this question, I think Eisner is concerned about whether the school takes any measures to check whether their school is performing well or not. However, during my research experience, it was found that most school caters to the needs of their students through various processes in an accountable manner. The research findings state that the school's success depends on the type of leadership that every individual exercises in the school. According to Eisner (n.d.), every leader in the school should do more than what they have been doing to determine in what manner the school is already doing. He added the teaching and learning process should be rationalized through the installation of proper evaluation practices and the goals that can be measured whereby the teachers become accountable for what they are doing to the public so that everyone becomes aware of the standardized system. Moreover, the school should be focused on uplifting the standards through the use of rubrics with well-defined criteria and through the proper measurement process that measures the performance of the school as a whole (Cashin, 2019). Finally, we can say a school is doing well if the school is encouraging a supportive environment in the classroom through connectedness and promoting student diversity with improved intellectual quality (Zyngier, 2019).

 

On the other hand, to discuss the question “Do students participate in the assessment of their own work? If so, how?” on page 303 in the first paragraph, it is found that Eisner is really concerned about the opportunity that students get to do self-assessment. According to Sackstein (2016), self-assessment by students is a pertinent tool that allows students to give importance to their studies and share their understanding with their teacher which they get an idea about the work they are doing with proper adjustment through the instruction they follow for the better-tailored class assessment and the time adjustment. Andrade (2019) stated that self-monitoring one’s work provides an opportunity to notice our actions and arouse curiosity in examining the true effects of such actions so that they multiply their willingness for future improvement through self-observation to improve their behavior. Mostly, students find their teachers evaluating their work and are rarely involved in self-assessment, not keeping in mind the very advantages of making students assess their work. Students assessing their work themselves enables them to promote deeper learning using their judgmental skills. Moreover, learning becomes more successful as students realize their mistakes and can understand themselves. Simultaneously, teachers will be able to improve students’ engagement through the promotion of child-centered learning. Minero (2016) states that students learn to assess their work by seeing the exemplary work of experts, learning vocabulary that is specific to the work they are doing, and practicing peer critique. On the other hand, the students can assess their work successfully if they are instructed to use the rubrics that enable them to compare their work based on the criteria given in the rubrics and check the standard they reached (HUB, n.d.). The teacher should encourage students to use rubrics meaningfully and should involve students in creating the criteria for the rubric. They should be using the assessment as a formative tool for self-improvement purposes. They can also be involved through quizzes, portfolios, journals, etc. Finally, students should be allowed for student-teacher conversations so that the teacher would be able to provide constructive feedback. This lets students think about understanding by analyzing their own work and from the feedback they get from the teacher.  

 

Finally, in the fifth paragraph of page 303, Eisner asks “Are teachers given the time to observe and work with one another?” This question resonates with the pertinent issue of any school setting because in most cases, willingness from the teacher’s side and too many activities in the school are what matter to fulfill the said matters. Eisner is concerned about the intensity of professionalism from the teacher’s side and professional discourse by the school, keeping teachers in the center. However, allowing teachers to observe another teacher is linked with the improvement of classroom performance. But, most of the time, teachers either feel shy or become hesitant to be observed. On the other hand, since teachers are packed with their teaching periods and heavy notebook corrections in hand, they often do and get time to be involved in such professional activities. Schools on the other side instruct the teachers of peer observation, but mostly take it lightly. Being observed by a colleague in the classroom may not be welcoming for some, but it has multiple advantages for the teacher himself/herself and the school as a whole because it serves as professional development for the teacher's professional growth (Educational World, n.d.). Research says that observing other teachers enhances self-awareness of those skills that are necessary for future growth including the use of materials, resources, strategies, etc. available in the school (Gore, 2013). If ever teachers are provided with time to observe one another, both would get an opportunity to discuss the challenges they are facing for the way forward for future implementation because they get support and share their ideas for their professional development (Department of Education and Training, 2018). By doing so, teachers will be able to uplift the efficacy of the entire school.

 

To conclude, the main function of education is to prepare students with the required development that enables them to lead their lives morally and productively through quality education. The school should follow professionalism in every aspect and teach good values through quality education. Activities like “learning by doing” should be considered in the first place, whereby students engage themselves during the learning process. Along with it, the school should be able to make school a resource center in which it should engage its teachers in peer helping process through vigorous discussion and observation strategies, More than that, the school should be able to make students independent learners and all members in the school should be accountable to what they are doing professionally. 

 

Reference

 

Andrade, H. L.  (2019). A Critical Review of Research on Student Self-Assessment. Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2019.00087/full

Casin, C. (2019). What does it mean to say a school is doing well? Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://prezi.com/p/snqhwrmxv7f8/what-does-it-mean-to-say-a-school-is-doing-well/#:~:text=A%20school%20is%20doing%20well%20when%20we%20diversify%20opportunities%20for,to%20do%20better%20in%20schools.

Department of Education and Training. (2018). Peer Observation, Feedback and Reflection: A Practical Guide for Teachers. Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://www.education.vic.gov.au/Documents/school/teachers/teachingresources/practice/Peer_observation_feedback_and_reflection_practical_guide_for_teachers.pdf

Educational World. (n.d.). Teachers Observing Teachers: A Professional Development Tool for Every School. Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://www.educationworld.com/a_admin/admin/admin297.shtml

Eisner, E. (n.d.). What does it mean to say a school is doing well?  In Flinders, D. J., &   Thornton, S. J. (Eds.), The Curriculum Studies Reader, Fourth Edition, pp.297-305. New York, NY: Routledge. https://chrisdavidcampbell.files.wordpress.com/2016/12/eisener-2001.pdf

Gore, J. (2013). How observing other teachers can improve your teaching. Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://www.britishcouncil.org/voices-magazine/how-observing-other-teachers-can-improve-your-teaching

Minero, E. (2016). 4 Steps of Student Self-Assessment. Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://www.edutopia.org/practice/mastering-self-assessment-deepening-independent-learning-through-arts

Sackstein, S. (2016). Student Self-Assessment Practices That Work. Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/opinion-student-self-assessment-practices-that-work/2016/05

Salon, W. M. (2012). What Is the Purpose of Education? Retrieved June, 19, 2021, http://www.ascd.org/publications/newsletters/education-update/jul12/vol54/num07/What-Is-the-Purpose-of-Education%C2%A2.aspx

Zyngier, D. (2019). What makes a good school? What makes a good teacher? Retrieved November 16, 2019 from https://www.educationmattersmag.com.au/what-makes-a-good-school-what-makes-a-good-teacher/