Measuring teacher effectiveness: Some methodological reflections

Teacher effectiveness is an issue that has received increased attention in recent years, as researchers have become aware of limitations in models that see the school as the key arena for improving pupil learning outcomes. This renewed interest makes it timely to look again at the methods used in teacher effectiveness research. This article presents an overview of some key issues in researching teacher effectiveness from a process-product perspective. The choice of outcome measure is a first key area. Traditionally most teacher effectiveness research has utilised externally published standardised tests. However, it will be argued that this is too limited in the light of societal demands on education. Actually measuring teacher factors is an issue the difficulty of which has often been underestimated. Classroom observation, surveys of teachers and students, and qualitative methods such as interviews have been most frequently employed. The advantages and disadvantages of each are discussed. In the final section, the main analysis methods suitable for teacher effectiveness research are outlined.