- Two of the classes observed were mathematics. In both of these classes the
teachers provided a solved model on the board, explained the steps and
rules, and then provided the students with a problem to solve. Then the
teacher went around the class and checked the class work. After some time,
the teacher provided another mathematics problem. At that time, however,
about one quarter of the students were still working out the previous problem.
When the teacher was asked later why he had not given attention to these
students, his response was that they were the weak students and rarely
completed their work, and he therefore felt it was not necessary to wait. This
case indicated that although teacher training covers formative assessments,
the continuous assessment system (CAS), and use of assessment to provide
remedial support, teachers are not putting these into practice and are leaving
weak students behind. - In another mathematics class, the teacher started with a song about
subtraction. When there was a question in the song, the students replied in
unison. This activity was fun to the students. After the song, however, the
teacher followed the model, steps, rules and drill format. - In two of the classes, the teachers divided students into groups. One of the
teachers formed the groups, gave each group a list of questions, and asked
them to prepare answers. Instead of working together as a group, however,
the students prepared answers to the questions individually. Later, the
teacher asked each group to read out an answer to one of the questions.
One of the students in each group got up and read out his or her answer.
Thus, although the teacher described the activity as ‘group work’, it was not.
The teacher explained after the class, that he had participated in a three-day
teacher training the previous month, which had covered group formation
and group work. He noted that the type of group formation that had been
done in the training hall was not possible in his less spacious classroom. This
indicated that the trainers had failed to reflect on the situations prevailing in
classrooms and had failed to provide teachers with the skills to adapt what
they learned into their classroom situations.
The findings from the nine ‘regular’ schools indicate that reading aloud,
paraphrasing, lecturing and rote learning prevail in today’s classrooms, much
as in the past. Furthermore, few of the skills gained by teachers in their training
are being transferred to the classroom.
Twelve lessons were observed in the four schools in which innovative projects
were being implemented by United Mission to Nepal (in Dhading District)