The Widget Effect in “Teaching at the Right Level”

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 11:25 am
  In Roundtable Session: (Re)Examining Preservice and In-Service Teacher Responses and Their Implications (Table 36)

Abstract

This study explores the Teaching at the Right Level (TaRL) approach, a standardized, evidence-based solution, which targets students' learning levels through ability grouping rather than their grade levels to address the global learning crisis. The study analyzes various documents related to TaRL, focusing on how teachers are perceived and treated in the implementation process. The research finds that the approach tends to overlook teachers' individual expertise, treating them as interchangeable cogs in the system, a phenomenon described as the Widget Effect. It emphasizes standardization and neglects teachers’ unique skills and contributions. The study calls for recognizing and leveraging teacher strengths, providing targeted professional development, and ensuring teacher empowerment for successful and sustainable implementation of TaRL.

Author

• Amogh Basavaraj, Florida State University