THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA

Departments of Elementary Programs and Secondary Curriculum, Teaching and Learning

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CIE 610: EFFECTIVE TEACHING - Concepts and Processes
Doctoral Core Course for Fall Semester, 2001

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PURPOSE: Effective Teaching is a designed for elementary, secondary, and college teachers, supervisors, administrators and teacher educators involved in instructional planning, teaching, and evaluation. The purpose of the course is to provide a useful knowledge base for instructional practice through in-depth study of the research literature on classroom instructional practices, classroom conditions, and the classroom teacher. The course also serves as one of the set of doctoral core courses.

This course should be considered basic to understanding what is effective in enhancing desired learner outcomes. It would also provide a foundation for more advanced study of instructional theory and research. It provides a higher level approach to more effective teaching than methods courses describing and explaining methods, strategies, and skills of teaching. Through use of information and skills developed concerning research on teaching, one can be made more aware and more reflective of his/her own and others classroom teaching behaviors and practices. This increased ability allows for more appropriate responses to student needs and more adaptable classroom planning and teaching behaviors to achieve personal and other professional goals.

OUTCOMES: The course will focus on three broad themes. The first addresses research knowledge about what works; the events, experiences, and contexts that effectively influence the motivation, learning and development of students.The second is knowledge of teachers and the variety of instructional strategies to be used in classrooms to create more effective learning. The third is knowledge of effective strategies to provide professional development for classroom teachers. To the extent that teachers, supervisors, or administrators are aware of the research knowledge base and have knowledge of practice based on empirical evidence; they can function as more effective decision-makers.

COURSE CONTENT: The course represents an in-depth study of the research literature on teaching and learning with emphasis on organizing, translating, and applying findings at the classroom level K-16.Course activities involve lectures, seminars, interviews, simulations, propositional debates, cyber space interactive activities, guest speakers, school and classroom visits, and participation in the annual “UA Conference on Effective Teaching”. The scope and sequence of the course content will involve the current research knowledge base (what works) in the areas of:

• classroom life and teaching
• classroom complexity and teacher awareness
• constancy and change in classrooms, an historical inquiry
• teacher expectations
• teacher decision-making and teaching as a hypothesis testing
• effective management, preventing and coping with problems effectively
• motivating students, preconditions and strategies that work
• effects of between-class and within-class grouping
• student diversity and differential instruction
• effects of teacher planning and classroom behavior on student learning
• teaching for understanding
• appraisal of teaching
• improving classroom teaching and effective professional development
• teacher effectiveness - critical issues

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COURSE DATA:                                                               FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:

CIE 610: Effective Teaching	Dennis W. Sunal
3 credit hours, fall, 2001	Secondary Curriculum Teaching and Learning
Weekend College schedule	302C Graves Hall, University of Alabama
8/24-5, 9/28-29,10/26-27, 11/30-12/1	Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0231
6:00-9:00 Fridays and 8:30-5:00 Saturdays	Phone (205) 348-7010
Call #16513, section 001	E-mail -dsunal@bamaed.ua.edu

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