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The purpose of this study was to investigate multiple perspectives and perceptions of good teaching as viewed through the lens of a Parent Teacher Organization’s Teacher of the Year Award program. To better understand the complexity of good teaching, I conducted a single case study involving five distinct groups of people: students, parents, principals, school board members, and award-winning teachers. The research questions that guided my data collection and analysis were: 1. What are the participants’ perceptions of a good teacher? 2. What are the participants’ understandings of teaching, learning, and curriculum? 3. What are the similarities and differences of perceptions and understandings among the five stakeholder groups?Twenty-four participants were interviewed for this study using open-ended, semi structured interviews lasting approximately 20–60 minutes in length. Multiple data sources were collected in this study such as classroom observation field notes, classroom artifacts, public documents, and nomination letters. Findings indicate that good teaching involves fostering long-term personal connections with students through acts of care and confidence building. In addition, good teaching requires a belief in doing what is best for student learning, using creativity in the curriculum, and engaging students in hands-on, active learning. Furthermore, the good teaching described in this study is based on teachers working to communicate with parents, as well as community members, about what is happening in the classroom. The findings of this study add to the debate among schools, communities, and policy makers about what it means to be a good teacher. |
