Teachers Can Make Greater Use Of Instructional Strategies

Teachers Can Make Greater Use Of
Instructional Strategies
Educators must ensure that America's students are provided with adequate
opportunity to learn. The phrase "opportunity to learn" (OTL) was coined in 1963
by John Carroll to indicate whether students were given sufficient time to learn a
particular concept or unit of course material. This definition embodies an
assumption that has followed the basic premise of OTL to the present-with
appropriate school and classroom conditions and effective instruction, all
students can master challenging course work.
Today's view of OTL is broader, encompassing a set of conditions believed to be
essential to effective teaching and learning. The conditions differ from many
behaviors that research shows are correlated with pupil performance-specific
classroom strategies and organizational skills that can improve learning once the
basic elements are in place. The conditions of OTL are the foundation needed for
effective instruction to all students.

The first OTL condition, so fundamental that it is often assumed rather than
discussed, is the provision of a safe and orderly environment in which teaching
and learning can occur. Every distraction, from violence and illegal behavior on
school grounds to interruptions as minor as "PA" announcements, has a cost.
Second are school policies and practices-for example, course offerings,
graduation requirements, and tracking-that provide access to important course
work by some groups of students while denying access to others. Academic
performance suffers, for example, when schools do not offer algebra to eighth
graders or do not offer a selection of advanced courses to students who have the
motivation and ability to take these courses. Graduation requirements assure that
all students take a certain number of basic courses; increased requirements
benefit low-ability students in particular. However, very few schools have
universal requirements in subjects such as computer science or foreign language.
Tracking limits course work severely for students assigned to nonacademic tracks.
Unfortunately, students are locked into lower tracks by mechanisms that make
mobility all but impossible.
Third, instructional practices determine the extent to which students are provided
with adequate learning opportunity. There are four classroom OTL practices:
- Content Coverage: The extent to which the topics specified by the course
syllabus and/or the textbook are covered in a course or school year. Adequate
content coverage means that students are exposed to a full and adequate
breadth of course material.
- Content Emphasis: The extent to which topics are covered in depth. Adequate
content emphasis occurs when important topics are selected and covered
extensively by teaching more facts, principles, and examples, and by expecting
students to process material at higher cognitive levels-e.g., analyzing and applying
the material, posing and/or solving real-life problems that involve the course
content, or engaging in critical thinking about the topic.
- Content Exposure: The extent to which sufficient time is allocated for students
to learn the material presented, including those needing more time than others to
reach mastery.

- Quality of Instructional Delivery: The extent to which lessons are planned and
delivered in a coherent manner and employ a range of resources, so students can
understand and use the information presented.
These conditions, often lacking in urban schools, represent the essential
requisites needed to provide students with true OTL.
OTL INSTRUCTIONAL PRACTICES AND ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT
Research shows that OTL instructional practices improve student achievement.
Studies relating content coverage to learning demonstrate that the extent to
which a teacher covers course material to be tested is an important antecedent of
student achievement. Although little research has been published that documents
content emphasis, it is clear that basic facts and principles are emphasized in
American schools, while insufficient attention is given to teaching higher order
thinking skills. The typical American curriculum in science and mathematics has
been characterized as "a mile wide and an inch deep". Research demonstrates
that teachers can make greater use of instructional strategies that foster more
complex cognitive skills, and these will impact the development of higher order
thinking among students. More research is needed on this aspect of OTL.
Different students require different amounts of content exposure to master the
same material, even under the best instructional conditions. Much research has
explored the relationships among time needed to learn, time allocated by the
teacher, and student achievement. A synthesis of this research concluded that
other things being equal, the amount learned is generally proportional to the time
spent in learning. The review emphasizes the importance of productive time—
that is, time spent on lessons appropriate to the learner's skills and prior
knowledge—and describes strategies to increase productive time in the
classroom.
Research on quality of instructional delivery emphasizes the effective allotment of
learning time, (i.e., content exposure), and teaching is characterized by: (a)
coherent presentation and sequencing of material, (b) ample opportunity for
students to engage in guided practice, (c) the use of regular, periodic
assessments, and (d) constructive feedback to the students. Without these
features, students are not provided with adequate OTL, and academic
achievement may be impaired rather than promoted.

HOW CAN WE ASSESS OTL PROVIDED IN THE CLASSROOM?
A recent report assembles a set of strategies that can be used to assess OTL
instructional practices in a particular classroom, and whether or not certain
strategies work for all students. Teacher logs and journals reveal the emphasis
placed on particular curricular contents and the productive use of instructional
time. Observations, whether by fellow teachers, administrators, or others, reveal
the quality of the lessons and the emphasis on higher order thinking skills.
Surveys of teachers reveal factors that obstruct attempts to provide adequate
OTL, such as outside interruptions, inadequate materials (e.g., textbooks,
laboratory equipment, calculators, or computers), or insufficient support from
other school staff. Finally, periodic student assessments reflect the impact and
quality of the core curriculum.
But how teacher-friendly are these OTL assessment strategies? Are teachers
willing to undertake OTL assessments and change their instructional styles based
on the feedback they receive? In a recent survey of 455 urban elementary,
middle, and high-school teachers, OTL assessment strategies were ranked on the
basis of how teacher-friendly and sustainable they are.
Teachers ranked student assessments as the highest rated strategy. At the other
extreme, keeping journals or logs was viewed less favorably, with comments
indicating that the time required for this task would be burdensome. In general,
teachers approved of having an administrator or fellow teacher observe lessons
to determine coherence and teaching time allocation. However, a number of
respondents expressed concern that the observer may not be appropriate or that
they would feel threatened if the quality of their teaching was being evaluated.
Surveys about school resources received stronger endorsements than student
surveys of teaching. While resource surveys were viewed as an important OTL
assessment strategy, some teachers were reluctant to place students in the
position of evaluating their teaching competence.
HOW CAN OTL ASSESSMENTS IMPROVE INSTRUCTION?
The information obtained through OTL assessments can promote positive changes
in the classroom, and can also be useful in building an OTL model to improve
teaching practices and ultimately students' academic achievement. Results from
the survey of teachers reveal which aspects of OTL assessment strategies have the
highest probability of success and which need improvement to be more fully

acceptable to teachers. While educators must be sensitive to adding timeconsuming
activities to a teacher's workload, we know that OTL—when provided
to students and assessed—can bring about positive results in the classroom.
Jeff C. Palmer is a teacher, success coach, trainer, Certified Master of Web
Copywriting and founder of https://Ebookschoice.com. Jeff is a prolific writer,
Senior Research Associate and Infopreneur having written many eBooks, articles
and special reports.
Source: https://ebookschoice.com/teachers-can-make-greater-use-ofinstructional-strategies/