Examining dynamic teacher effectiveness through the relationships between teaching consistency and learning goals across lessons: Some theoretical and methodological considerations

This paper addresses the theoretical and methodological concerns for studying consistency and variation in teachers and between teachers in different classrooms and schools. By measuring teaching effectiveness with different classroom observation protocols, a model of teacher behaviors ranked by their relative level of difficulty and by relating teacher effectiveness with students’ learning goals and processes can be obtained. Case studies of four teachers varied in their relative teaching effectiveness can then be conducted to explore the reciprocal relationship between teaching practices and students’ learning processes and goal orientations. Interventions initiated by these teachers are expected to establish students’ self-regulated learning by transforming their goal orientations and these changes in students are assumed to facilitate teaching over time.