Andrew J. Wayne and Peter Youngs, Review of Educational Research
Spring 2003, Vol. 73, No. 1, pp. 89-122
This short but important paper reviews the existing research on teacher characteristics to determine what we know about which teachers are most effective. One finding, unfortunately, consistent with the recent ECS report [for Gadfly's review of the ECS report, go to http://www.edexcellence.net/gadfly/issue.cfm?issue=110#1383], is that there isn't a lot of reliable research on this topic. Among the relatively few studies that meet the authors' criteria--primarily, the use of value added analysis and proper controls--they do find some worthwhile insights. Correlates of teacher effectiveness include the quality of the teacher's undergraduate school and the teacher's performance on standardized tests (such as verbal skills or teacher licensure tests). Perhaps more interesting is their examination of degrees, coursework, and certification. With respect to the first two, only in mathematics has a reliable connection been found: Teachers with master's degrees in math do make better math teachers. (In other subjects, the connection has not been demonstrated.) With respect to certification, the lesson is that it's beneficial "only when teachers have certification for the subject taught." Notably absent from existing research is any solid evidence that race, years of experience, or holding an education degree do anybody any good. The implications seem clear: certification processes and hiring decisions need to incorporate what teachers know, and still more research is needed about which teacher characteristics actually help students learn. This paper provides a useful review of familiar ground. Sadly, it's not available online; to order a copy, call 800-521-0600.
