As teachers we often blame class size, home backgrounds, pupil attitudes, peers and lack of resources for problems of student achievement. Governments call for more school targeting and reporting in order to raise student achievement. We can identify various global indicators of school success; regular attendance, good health and nutrition, economic circumstances, parental support and interest etc. We can also identify various indicators of successful schools; leadership, facilities, resources, standards and expectations, vision, school culture and values, professional development and commitment to kids. However, John Hattie (University of Auckland) has identified the critical factor in improving the achievement of pupils – the teacher. He has also identified the critical factors which distinguish an excellent teacher from a competent teacher (“expert teachers from experienced teachers”).

He did this by a macro research synthesis of over 500,000 studies and by observation in the United States and New Zealand. Hattie states that a student typically spends about 15,000 hours with the most critical agent of change – the teacher. His study looked at the influences of the major sources of variance on student achievement and concluded that after the students own ability (50% of the variance) the next single greatest variance or influence was the teacher (30%). This is significantly greater than the home, school, principals (about 5%) and peers (10%).

It is their degree of skill, interest, passion and encouragement that are critical, particularly in their relationships with children. If a child from an emotionally deprived background without encouragement, resources and positive modelling, thinks that at least one significant person in their lives cares and takes an interest in them, then this may well be the motivation that a child needs, to excel.

I believe in you
I care about you
I trust you
-Lane Clarke

However, while acknowledging that it is the teacher that makes the difference, it is the excellence of the teacher that makes the greatest difference. Apart from obvious quality teaching practices (professional knowledge, planning and preparation, knowledge of children’s needs, commitment etc) and demonstrating genuine care and interest in students, three other factors are critical for successful teachers:

*To build and maintain positive relationships with pupils.
*To have high standards and expectations.
*To provide positive, focused instructional feedback to pupils.

At all levels of school, teachers need to show genuine care for their pupils, to care about them individually, academically, socially and emotionally. Teachers need to be in rooms with children, particularly before school, so that relationships can be developed and maintained. Primary teachers in particular do extremely well in their holistic care of children. This is no where near so well developed in secondary schools. Quality of relationships is critical for all children but particularly so for boys, Maori and Polynesian (Best Evidence Synthesis Report Ministry of Education, 2003).

Similarly, expecting children to learn and to succeed is critical for success and is an attribute of the expert teacher – again, particularly important for boys, Maori and Polynesian. If a child senses that the teacher will accept poor quality work and senses that either the teacher expects the child to fail or is different or couldn’t care less, then the child will meet that expectation. Conversely, if the teacher demands high standards, articulates the criteria for success, and shows an expectation that pupils can and will succeed, then pupils will strive to meet that expectation.

Teachers of excellence have:
*Strong professional delivery skills
*Positive, quality relationships with pupils
*High standards and expectations
*Positive, focused instructional feedback to pupils

Hattie is quite clear that the answer to increasing achievement at school is to ‘direct attention at high quality teaching, and higher expectations that students can meet appropriate challenges’.

Hattie and Jaeger also did a macro synthesis review to identify the difference between the expert teacher and the experienced teacher. They identified five dimensions of excellent teachers which contain 16 attributes of expertise. They see these attributes as being overlapping facets of the descriptor of an expert teacher rather then a checklist of isolated attributes. The 16 attributes combining to describe a teacher of excellence are:
Deeper representations about teaching and learning
Take a problem solving stance to their work
Anticipate, plan and improvise as required
Better decision makers and prioritises
Create optimum classroom climate for learning
Are more multidimensional with classrooms
More context dependent
More adept at developing and testing learning strategies
Are more automatic about practice and structure
Have high respect for students
Are passionate about teaching and learning
Have high standards and demand engagement and mastery
Provide challenges and goals
Have positive influences on student achievement
Enhance both surface and deep learning

However, in general terms, what makes a difference to student achievement?
- the quality of the teacher including:
*Pedogical and curriculum knowledge
*Passion and commitment
*Engagement and relationships
*Challenge and expectations
*Monitoring and feedback

See:
Teachers Make a Difference; What is the Research Evidence
J.A.Hattie
University of Auckland, 2003

Influences on Student Learning
J.A. Hattie
www.arts.auckland.ac.nz /education/staff