Global Challenges for Improving Teaching Quality

Findings from ongoing projects investigating effective teaching research around the world were discussed during two seminars presented by Professor Ridwan Maulana. Held over two days in tandem with student consultations, Prof Maulana discussed Theories and Methodological Approaches in the first seminar and Evidence and Future Development in the AI Era in the second one.

Underscored by the key role of teachers in shaping students’ learning experiences and outcomes, Prof Maulana initiated the discussion by giving examples of persistent challenges to quality education in various countries. The presentation included a discussion about how large-scale international assessments, such as PISA and TIMSS, reveal substantial cross-national variation in student performance. These outcomes, he suggested, corresponded with disparities in teaching quality and represented a ripe area for further investigation.

Turning to current research, Prof Maulana explained that efforts to enhance teaching quality require robust, valid, and evidence-based measurement tools. He pointed out that existing research employs diverse conceptualisations and methodologies to assess teaching quality, which complicates cross-study comparisons and limits the ability to learn from high-performing education systems.

The two-part seminar, held on November 10 and 11, concluded by emphasising the role of diverse educational research frameworks in measuring and improving teaching quality.

Professor Ridwan Maulana is a Professor of Educational Sciences and Chair of Comparative Learning Environments at the University of Groningen, Netherlands