Beliefs and Practices of Selected Effective Private School Teachers in Mumbai, India

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Abstract

This study extends existing research by employing a mixed-methods design to examine the beliefs and practices of effective teachers within their school and cultural contexts in India’s private sector. We used maximum variation sampling to select 20 effective teachers who work in private schools in Mumbai (Eastern, Western, Central and South)for this study. We observed and interviewed each teacher using standardized protocols. While the observational findings revealed that the teachers’ practices (student engagement, use of instructional activities across different cognitive levels) were consistent with the extant research regarding effective teachers, the interview data revealed that their beliefs and practices differed substantially in the areas of differentiation, relationship with students, and the influence of parental expectations on their practice.

Authors

• Swathi Menon, College of William & Mary

• Leslie W. Grant, College of William & Mary

• James H. Stronge, College of William & Mary