The news (http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/05/ofsted-boring-teachers) that OFSTED is to target 'boring teachers' as the claimed source of deterioration in the behaviour of children seems worthy of comment. The individual incomprehensibly interviewed (Christine Gilbert) maintained that 'research' she and others had carried out in a previous incarnation (as a Local Authority Director of Education) on a possible link between boredom and achievement had provided 'strong evidence' that much of it (the bad behaviour?) was (caused by?) boredom. It is certainly the case that pupils, students and teachers can be demotivated by boring presentations but it seems odd to base a whole policy initiative on one presumably self-fulfilling 'prophecy' for which no details are presented. How good is the study and did it consider a range of ages? I think it's worth raising a few complications. Firstly, I believe that teaching is most effective when there are at least two active participants. Unfortunately, some potential recipients apparently believe being bored is cool (such that getting them to admit to being even mildly interested in any topic is difficult). This can demotivate the teacher. Secondly, some material (although important and career-enhancing) is simply less interesting than other topics (so one might end up rating the material rather than the teacher). I appreciate that there can be innovative approaches even for 'dull' material but these take time, extra energy and resources. Thirdly, the teacher may have to work with individuals predisposed to boredom by their home and earlier school experiences. I would be interested to learn what people think on these issues.
Monday, 5 January 2009
Boring, Boring?
The news (http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/05/ofsted-boring-teachers) that OFSTED is to target 'boring teachers' as the claimed source of deterioration in the behaviour of children seems worthy of comment. The individual incomprehensibly interviewed (Christine Gilbert) maintained that 'research' she and others had carried out in a previous incarnation (as a Local Authority Director of Education) on a possible link between boredom and achievement had provided 'strong evidence' that much of it (the bad behaviour?) was (caused by?) boredom. It is certainly the case that pupils, students and teachers can be demotivated by boring presentations but it seems odd to base a whole policy initiative on one presumably self-fulfilling 'prophecy' for which no details are presented. How good is the study and did it consider a range of ages? I think it's worth raising a few complications. Firstly, I believe that teaching is most effective when there are at least two active participants. Unfortunately, some potential recipients apparently believe being bored is cool (such that getting them to admit to being even mildly interested in any topic is difficult). This can demotivate the teacher. Secondly, some material (although important and career-enhancing) is simply less interesting than other topics (so one might end up rating the material rather than the teacher). I appreciate that there can be innovative approaches even for 'dull' material but these take time, extra energy and resources. Thirdly, the teacher may have to work with individuals predisposed to boredom by their home and earlier school experiences. I would be interested to learn what people think on these issues.
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1 comment:
Boring, boring.
Children (and adults) get bored for all sorts of reasons, not just because a lesson’s content does not inspire them or hold their interest. You can become bored if what is attempting to be taught is out of the client’s capability. Nothing is more boring than not understanding what’s going on. This of course, opens up another whole can of worms. Because it may be that the client would find the topic riveting if it was couched in terms which made it accessible to him.
It may be that with a little extra help these clients could access the curriculum as fully as their more able counterparts. Consequently they wouldn’t get as bored and disrupt their classmates.
I agree also that a lot depends on the age of the recipient as well as their individual interest in the topic. For older pupils it is possible to make them understand that some topics just have to be “got through” in order to move on to more interesting material. This is more problematic for the younger children or the less able who are more likely to be switched off when things get a little difficult and/or tedious.
To link boredom to poor teaching methods is breathtakingly simplistic. Of course there are going to be instances where this is true but equally there are a whole raft of other forces coming into play.
If the teacher is unsupported in the classroom then pitching challenging material at the right level for 30 or more pupils is a logistical nightmare. In a mixed ability class there are going to be those that grasp the idea almost immediately (and then become bored and disruptive while waiting for the others to catch on). There will be those that take all lesson to grasp the principle and can get bored with the concentration it demands, so becoming disruptive. Then there are those for whom the way in which the principle has been presented give up at the first hurdle. This last group being the most frustrated/bored and disruptive of them all.
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