Welcome to the QUINT Observation Systems Seminars (OBS seminars). This series will discuss classroom observation systems as a tool for understanding and improving teaching quality.
This and upcoming OBS seminars are open for all interested parties. We want it to become a meeting arena for scholars genuinely interested in observation systems and related issues. Therefore we recommend that you join our network by subscribing to the network mailing list. You must confirm your email address in the confirmation email you receive to complete signing up to the mailing list.
If you are interested in presenting your research or have questions, please contact the organizer, QUINT Postdoctoral Fellow Mark White.
Program
In this seminar, taking place on March 7th, 2022 at 9am ET/ 15.00 CET, Dr. Hannah Morris Mathews will be presenting work with the title of Tensions in Theory and Practice: Exploring Conceptions of Instructional Quality for Students with Disabilities in Danielson’s Framework for Teaching
Abstract: Differing perspectives on teaching and learning are instantiated in observation systems, such as Danielson’s Framework for Teaching (FFT). Using FFT as a test case, in this presentation, Dr. Mathews will discuss the ways that observation systems might shape the educational opportunities afforded to students with disabilities. Highlighting the results of a content analysis of the Instructional Domain of FFT (Morris-Mathews et al., 2020), Dr. Mathews will argue that, while FFT upholds instructional practices that improve outcomes for students with disabilities, the individualized and specialized curricular needs of these students are devalued in the tool. Based on this analysis, she will argue that the assumptions underlying FFT reflect tensions seen in practice regarding the needs of students with disabilities and how professionals should work to meet those needs. Drawing on data from an interview study in which school administrators shared their beliefs about high-quality instruction and completed a concurrent think aloud using FFT, she will explore this argument. She will share how included administrators’ evaluation of instructional practice reflects similar tensions to those surfaced in the content analysis, emerging from their beliefs about students with disabilities, the purpose of special education in responding to those needs, and the roles and responsibilities of special educators in fulfilling that purpose. More information can be found in the paper.
Bio: More information on Dr. Morris-Matthews can be found on her website. Dr. Morris-Matthews has recently published a review of validity evidence for observation systems in special education.