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PEDAGOGICAL KNOWLEDGE
Pedagogical knowledge is a key to successful teaching. Pedagogical
Knowledge is the deep knowledge about the processes and practices or methods of
teaching and learning and how it covers overall educational purposes, values and
aims. This is a general form of knowledge which includes extent of student learning,
classroom management, and lesson plan development and implementation and
student evaluation.

A teacher with deep pedagogical knowledge understands how students

construct knowledge and acquires skills; develop habits of mind and positive
attitudes towards learning.

As such, pedagogical knowledge requires an understanding of cognitive,

social and developmental theories of learning and how they apply to students in
their classroom. It includes,
1.
Content knowledge
2.
Understanding about techniques or methods to be used in the classroom
3.
Knowledge of the nature of the target audience (students)- their age level,
interest, attitude, level of readiness, intelligence.
4.
Knowledge of the strategies for evaluating student understanding.
5.
Knowledge of Planning: curriculum planning, year planning, unit planning,
and lesson planning in accordance with the aims and objectives of that subject,
learning content, needs and interest of the children. Explain that assessment is
linked to the aims (standards/outcomes)- planning assessment and evaluation
techniques
6.
Practice in Timetabling-designing teaching timetable by giving emphasis to
extracurricular activities (sports, arts, music, craft, SUPW etc.)
7.
Classroom management
PEDAGOGICAL COMPETENCE
It concerns with everything that comes under the realm of classroom teaching and
with solving issues related to teaching. It includes the ability:

To teach

To have sound, broad & current knowledge about the topic

To identify problem areas requiring change

To understand student-learning modes

To reflect on classroom approaches used and to plan and initiate change

To develop classroom practices that facilitate learning

To adopt evaluation modes that are appropriate for assessing student

performance

It involves the following abilities related to teaching and learning like,

Pedagogical skills:
Content-related skills: Key skills for TEFL/TESL teachers
Excellent spoken and written language skills, with English and foreign
languages
Clear diction
critical thinking, problem solving, reasoning, analysis, interpretation,
synthesizing information
Research skills and practices, interrogative questioning
Creativity, artistry, curiosity, imagination, innovation, personal expression

Perseverance, self-direction, planning, self-discipline, adaptability, initiative

Oral and written communication, public speaking and presenting, listening
Leadership, teamwork, collaboration, cooperation, facility in using virtual
workspaces
Information and communication technology (ITC) literacy, media and internet
literacy, data interpretation and analysis, computer programming
Civic, ethical, and social-justice literacy
Economic and financial literacy, entrepreneurialism
Global awareness, multicultural literacy, humanitarianism
Scientific literacy and reasoning, the scientific method
Environmental and conservation literacy, ecosystems understanding
Health and wellness literacy, including nutrition, diet, exercise, and public
health and safety
Classroom management:
1.
Shaping of learning environment in the classroom
2.
Pooling of a number of provisions to maintain congenial environment for
learning
3.
Promoting learning is important and not the prevention of misbehavior,
although both are relevant
Principles:

Principle of clarity and mastery of content

Principle of involvement

Principle of democratic behavior

Principle of teacher behavior

Principle of self-control

Principle of personal attributes (sympathy, empathy, dignity of work, etc.)

Strategies:

Have rules

Timely intervention

Pleasant classroom climate

Skill of CM consists of:

Addressing pupils by their name

Formulating and forming norms of classroom behavior

giving clear instructions

providing sufficient work for students

Keeping pupils within the eye span of teachers

Smooth transition in stimuli and responses

Recognizing and reinforcing acceptable behavior

checking appropriate behavior of pupils then and there itself

Promoting Culturally Inclusive classrooms

It is one in which students and staff alike recognize, appreciate, and capitalize on
diversity so as to enrich the overall learning experience.

It encourages all individuals-regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, religious

affiliation, socio economic status, sexual orientation or political beliefs- to develop
personal contacts and effective intercultural skills
Characteristics:
1.
Positively interact with students

(establish an introduction system or meet-and-greet process that enables

students and staff to gain information about the cultural backgrounds of others, and
the diversity of experience in the classroom-ice-breaking sessions;

celebrate similarities, as well as discover differences between students;

promote computer and information technology as an easily accessible

method of student-lecture interaction, particularly electronic bulletin boards, course
mailing lists, and other online mediums; at the start of the semester, provide
students with some information about your teaching style and instructional
methods, including details of your cultural background and any cross-cultural
teaching, learning or research experiences you have had;

communicate to students that you are committed to understanding cultural

differences and understanding your own assumptions, values, beliefs associated
with diversity. This sends a message that culture is valued and respected in the
classroom; provide opportunities for your students to interact with you informally,
before and after lectures or tutorials is an ideal time;

make an effort to learn something unique about your student

Display positive nonverbal behaviours (inviting facial expressions, eye

contact, posture, hand gestures, physical distance) to ensure you appear
approachable to students
2.
Actively discourage classroom incivilities

Establish explicit ground-rules for appropriate classroom conduct to protect

against cultural exclusion and insensitivity

Communicate verbally and non-verbally high expectations for displaying

mutual respect toward all students

Encourage students to negotiate an accepted code of conduct and set of

disciplinary measures for inappropriate classroom behavior

Respond promptly to any behavior that can be considered prejudiced, biased

or discriminatory in nature. Do not tolerate racist, sexist or culturally insensitive
comments made by students

Avoid ignoring or neglecting the needs of individual students

Avoid stereotypes and preconceived assumptions in your teaching practices

and course content

When presenting information on cultural diversity and linguistic diverse

individuals or minority groups, clearly cite published literature and research
findings, rather than expressing your personal opinion
3.
Encourage open, honest and respectful discussion

Prompt students to ask questions by using open-ended statements, such as

would anyone like to share a different opinion or perspective?

Avoid singling out individual students or putting anyone on the spot,

particularly when discussing culturally or personally sensitive issues. For example, a
student will feel pressured if it is assumed they can speak on behalf of all the people
from their country or culture or origin

Promote turn-taking when discussing controversial issues

Ask students how they prefer to learn, and where possible, examine how you
might adapt your teaching and learning activities accordingly. For example, inviting
students to write a self-reflective essay to explain their learning style; completing a
learning style inventory assessment, or providing an online forum to openly discuss
how they like to learn are ideal methods to explore learning styles
4.
Use inclusive language and appropriate modes of address

Ask what name or form of address students prefer

during class discussions, refer to students by name as much as possible

Right and correct pronunciation of names is very important, as it

demonstrates cultural awareness and respect

Use inclusive language that avoids ethnocentric tones (family name rather
than last name; given name rather than Christian name)

Evaluation of students writing- Diagnosis & Remediation

Evaluations help in:
1.
identifying strengths and weaknesses
2.
planning instruction
3.
evaluating instructional activities
4.
giving feedback
5.
monitoring performance
6.
reporting progress

How can writing problems be diagnosed?

Ans: Through observation of:
1.
how much planning the student does before he or she writes
2.
the strategy chosen by the child for organizing ideas
3.
the obstacles the child has in getting thoughts down on paper
4.
how students attempt to spell words unfamiliar to them
5.
whether the student rereads what she has written
6.
the kind of changes the student makes to her first draft
That is, by looking into the process of writing adopted by students the teacher can
diagnose their writing difficulties

Student writing can be evaluated on five product factors:

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Fluency
Content
Conventions
Syntax
Vocabulary

Too often teachers focus their attention primarily on surface features of a student's
composition related to the mechanical aspects of writing, or conventions. A
balanced assessment should look at all five aspects of a student's writing. The
following are simple methods for assessing each product variable. In some
instances quantifiable measures are used; in others, qualitative assessments seem
more appropriate.
Fluency: ability of translating thoughts into words comprises:

language level (moving from words to sentences and paragraphs

message quality (ability to explain concepts and write without copying from
some text

directional principles (correct spacing, right mode of writing, start top left,
move left to right, or return down left
A simple curriculum-based measure of fluency is total number of words written
during a short writing assignment. When fluency is the focus, misspellings, poor
word choice, and faulty punctuation are not considered. Attention is only directed to
the student's facility in translating thoughts into words. A baseline of at least three
writing samples should be collected and the total number of words counted for
each. For the purpose of evaluation, this total can be compared with those of
proficient writers of the same age or grade level. However, total words may be used

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best in monitoring the student's progress, comparing performance with his or her
own previous fluency.
If the total number of words is less than 20, aim for doubling it by the end of the
school year.
If the number of words is between 25 and 30, aim for a 50% increase.
If the number of words is between 35 and 45, aim for a 25% increase.
If the number of words is greater than 50, choose another objective.
Content
Content is the second factor to consider in the writing product. Content features
include the composition's organization, cohesion, accuracy (in expository writing),
and originality (in creative writing). General questions the classroom teacher can
ask regarding a composition's organization include:
Is there a good beginning sentence?
Is there a clear ending?
Is there a logical sequence of subtopics or events?
Cohesion questions include:
Does the writer stick to the topic?
Is it clear what words like it, that, and they refer to?
Does the writer use key words that cue the reader to the direction of the discourse
(First , Then , Therefore , On the other hand )?
Originality is assessed through questions like:
Did the writer attempt humor?
Did the writer present a unique point of view?
Analytical scales are the best way to lend some objectivity to evaluation of content.
One can choose from a general rating scale, appropriate to almost any writing
assignment, or one tailored to a specific genre or text structure.

Evaluating student writing with five distinct scores helps students to see
themselves as multidimensional writers, with weaknesses and strengths

Students who are poor spellers can be recognized for the quality of their
ideas, while perfect spellers may realize that correct writing is not necessarily
interesting writing.

Students can learn to recognize their strengths and work to improve their
areas of weakness.

It makes expectations visible to students. When students know the criteria by

which they will be evaluated, they no longer have to rely on the teacher to make
judgments about the quality of their writing. They can instead use the Features to
revise their writing continually.

Teaching students to become critical readers of their own writing. Students

who are taught to diagnose and correct their own writing problems are on their way
to becoming self-regulated, independent writers.

By providing instructional support, including demonstrations of writing

strategies, writing think-alouds, guided practice in small-group settings,
conferences with teacher and peers, and opportunities to transfer strategies to new
contexts and genres of writing, teachers can move students toward independence.

Strategies to Promote Student Improvement

1.
Respond as an audience. Writers (especially young ones) struggle to see
their own work objectively, and it is helpful for them to receive feedback that helps
them know how others perceive and respond to their work. It is important to
respond as a reader to the writing, not to the person. For instance, a useful
comment might read, As a reader, Im having trouble understanding how this

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paragraph relates to the others rather than What does this have to do with
anything?
2.
Guide substantive thought. Again, the goal is to help students improve
their writing in general, and while it might feel easier to focus solely on surface-level
issues, it is likewise important to help them with important issues like critical
thought, development, and purpose. Of course, different kinds of assignments and
students might determine the amount of attention you pay to surface-level issues
(Is it a very formal assignment? Is it a very young student who struggles so much
with clarity that content is completely obscured?)
3.
Be specific. Providing students with some details specific to their writing will
help them understand our response and work towards improvement. This means
going beyond noting, for instance, that a passage is awkward, to explaining why
that passage is awkward. Such details can help overcome the common complaint
that comments are cryptic or rubberstamped.
4.
Encourage skills improvement and emphasize choice. When possible,
we should strive to provide feedback that will help students recognize and improve
foundational skills. For example, instead of just indicating that a paragraph is
unclear, you might suggest that the student include a topic sentence to provide
focus. Similarly, it is important to emphasize that there can be many right choices
in writing, and in your commentary, it can be beneficial to leave students with those
choices in order to imbue them with ownership of the piece. This can help
circumvent that student impulse to just fix whatever the instructor marked and
instead encourage them to approach the revision in a thoughtful way.
5.
Provide a positive environment. Ultimately, we must remember that
unlike taking a test, writing and receiving feedback is an intensely personal
experience for many. When providing feedback, we should respect that vulnerability
and create a positive environment that will encourage students to improve, rather
than discourage them from trying. And as Nick Carbone points out, student writers
dont have the same experiences as we do, so we need to learn to like their honest
attempts.
6.
Responding to ideas rather than just presentation can show that you
value what the student has to say. Further, asking questions and responding as an
audience can also help take the sting out of a critical comment. And dont forget to
highlight what the student has done well in addition to what needs work.

Strategies to Improve Your Own Efficiency and Consistency

1.
Prioritize. It is in your best interest as well as your students to pick your
battles when providing feedback on their writing. Too many comments on too many
aspects of writing can confuse and overwhelm them as well as devour your time
and energy. After reading an essay, choose what you believe to be the most
important areas on which to concentrate; try focusing on higher-order concerns
first, such as focus and development. To help you accomplish this, try reading
through the entire paper first without marking it at all to help you get a good idea of
what the primary issues are.

Respond to content first (if possible ). As instructors, it is indeed hard to resist

the urge to simply fix the errors we see in our students writing and move on.
However, if comments focus solely on those issues, student might think nothing
else needs improvement. Conversely, other students might become discouraged
and feel the grade was assigned arbitrarily, with no way to improve. In terms of
efficiency, focusing on content might help you limit the amount of time you spend
on marking and commenting.

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2.
Do not edit! Yes, you want to make it clear that surface errors matter, but if
you fix every error in an essay, students will not learn to identify the problems and
make the corrections themselves, and you will have wasted a great deal of time.
Here are a few strategies regarding surface errors:

Provide a substantive endnote to summarize your response to the paper as

whole.

Use the margins of the paper to make more specific comments.

In the endnote, be sure to comment specifically on the strengths of the

paper, assess a major problem to work on, and give procedural recommendations
towards revision.

Use your office hours. If a paper is really in trouble, it might be impossible to

truly help the student with marginal commentary. Save your time and instead invite
the student to come to your office so that you can discuss the essay or revision
more in depth.

Discuss common problems with the entire class. If you find that a problem is
common to many papers in the class, you do not have to take the time to explain it
on every single paper. Instead, explain the problem and teach the skills to your
class as a whole.

Strategies for Efficiently Marking Surface Errors

Try marking errors with a check mark or X in the margin. Let the students
figure out what needs to be revised.

Carefully edit just one paragraph, showing the level of correctness you expect
for the entire paper.

Note major patterns of error you see throughout the paper, offering a few
examples.

Tailor comments based on the type of assignment. Remember that not all
kinds of assignments require the same type of feedback and grading process. Short
journal assignments might call for short, more content-oriented feedback, while
longer, more formal essays would call for more extensive commentary. If you are
responding to a paper that is likely to be revised, provide substantial feedback to
assist with the revision. Conversely, if it is an end-of-term paper that will not be
revised, your feedback might be more summative.

Set a time limit. Decide on a reasonable amount of time to spend on each

paper, and adhere to that limit. Use a timer if necessary.

Conclusion

Undoubtedly, evaluating and providing useful feedback on student writing will

always be a complex process! Its much more than reading a paper and slapping a
grade on it, especially if we want to help our students become better thinkers and
writers. However, if you find the strategies that suit your style, with some
forethought and finesse, the process can become less complicated and timeconsuming.