Comparisons of the Survey Results From All Eight Countries

• In Event: Educating Diverse Democracies: Comparing the Voices of Teachers and Students on Activity-Based Learning in Eight Countries

Abstract

Teaching Methods
Tables 1 showed sample teachers` self-reporting of the teaching methods they always/often used. With a few exceptions, there is strong agreement between the teachers’ and students’ perceptions on how often certain strategies were used. It appears that teachers talk is a predominant strategy used by most teachers, followed closely by discussions, questioning and individual desk work, all of which are teacher-directed pedagogies. As for activity-based lessons, it appears that sample teachers in Jamaica and Guyana were using more activities than Trinidad. About a third of the teachers used group work and student and presentations. Technology is not used by most teachers except for China and Quebec but little in jurisdictions with the Laptop initiatives like Trinidad and Ontario. Technology is not used at all in Africa. In general, we conclude that sample teachers used a variety of teaching strategies. However, sample teachers in all three Caribbean countries appeared to have serious classroom management problems as almost half of the sample students and 40% of the sample teachers claimed that the behaviours of others in the classroom were affecting their work. Even the Chinese sample students claimed that classroom management is affecting their learning. Sample students and teachers have conflicting opinions of classroom management problem in Africa.
Classroom Observations

For triangulation purposes, the researcher conducted classroom observations at two sample schools in each country, focusing on teaching strategies, assessment strategies, and curriculum materials. Student resources consisted mostly of textbooks except in Sierra Leone where limited resources were available. A few Chinese and Canadian sample teachers used DVD and PowerPoint. All teachers had access to the Internet and computers in most sample countries (except for Africa) which they often utilized while preparing for their lessons. Classroom observation data correlated with most of the students’ perceptions of teaching methods presented in the above tables. Teachers used predominately teacher-directed lessons (teacher talk, discussion, and questioning). There were frequent demonstrations and occasional experiments in the science classes in Canada and China. English teachers were the only teachers to use activity-based lessons in China. Most teachers spent their preparation time marking students’ homework, assignments, and tests in all jurisdictions.

Table 1: Teachers’ Perceptions of Teaching Methods (% Always/Often Used)

Jamaica
n = 217
Trinidad
n = 314
Guyana
n =196
Uganda
n = 71
Sierra Leone
n = 190

China
n=294
Canada
Quebec
(Ontario)
n=80(42)

Teacher Talk 50% 68% 47% 75% 82% 87% 62% (69%)
Individual Work 65% 57% 66% 63% 56% 45% 45% (74%)
Group Work 40% 39% 47% 44% 32% 42% 43% (55%)
Discussion 74% 68% 78% 53% 73% 52% 53% (62%)
Activity Learning 61% 46% 72% 38% 55% 52% 56% (57%)
Computer 17% 14% 11% 10% 7% 45% 22% (47%)
AV 21% 11% 4% 6% 3% 22% 29% (18%)
Presentations 34% 36% 43% 24% 23% 21% 29% (27%)
Demo/Exp/Drama 46% 37% 50% 40% 23% 23% 29% (36%)
Questioning 88% 87% 88% 91% 91% 78% 68% (71%)
A lot of time for Class Management 38% 40% 38% 20% 33% 35% 14% (25%)

Authors

• Peter Yee Han Joong, University of Toronto

• Kathryn A. Noel, University of Western Ontario

• Peter Francis Wintz, University of Guyana

• Nalini Ramsawak-Jodha, The University of the West Indies

• Thomas Gerald Ryan, Nipissing University