An interminable undertaking

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday March 30, 2026 09:58

Shifting attention away from the classroom constitutes a serious academic suicide. The quest for the right pedagogy is an interminable undertaking. Even highly trained teachers with a proven track record of producing high student learning outcomes should never make the grave mistake of sitting on their laurels. The lens should be focused relentlessly on the classroom despite the resurgence of distractions demanding attention. Complacency is an enemy. It is a self-inflicted problem, which, if allowed to creep in, can undermine an otherwise glittering teaching career.

To stay on top, successful teachers should continue to adhere to the basics of teaching while adjusting and upgrading their pedagogical skills to suit different circumstances and emerging environments. Granted, there is no denying the fact that situational constraints, not of their making, can frustrate the best efforts of classroom practitioners. Poor school governance, limited or absent incentives, and a shortage of critical teaching and learning inputs can be overwhelming challenges that undermine the morale of many classroom practitioners. But classroom practitioners who are ever conscious of the need to guard against reputational damage always strive to keep their heads above water amidst adverse circumstances. A winning mentality keeps them going and striving for perfection.

Every challenge presents an opportunity for dedicated classroom practitioners to engineer ways and means of circumventing and navigating seemingly difficult and impassable terrain. While adequate and high-quality infrastructure sets the stage for improved student learning outcomes, classroom practitioners are well aware that buildings and teaching implements, in and of themselves, do not guarantee quality educational outcomes. Classroom practitioners know that the biggest breakthrough comes from a healthy, harmonious triangular relationship among the teacher, the student, and the content.

This is a confirmation of the character of teaching as a fundamentally human enterprise. So the quest for improved learning outcomes is a daily occupation. It does not end. A teacher and his/ students should strive to get better than yesterday in their continuing interaction with the content. What was not achieved yesterday could be accomplished in the next couple of days, provided there is a relentless focus on getting wider and deeper. The argument here is that achieving desired student-learning outcomes requires teachers to reflect and introspect on their pedagogical approach from time to time. There is nothing like a permanent and unchanging academic pitch. When student scores are not consistent with standards and expectations, teachers who are in the driving seats should introspect and interrogate the teaching and learning process. The ball is in the court of classroom practitioners to assemble all the ingredients needed to restore academic excellence. Amongst the areas that count is the health of instruction in the classroom. Classroom practitioners should keep an inventory of critical areas which require constant probing and attention. When student achievement levels are low, there are critical areas worthy of the attention of classroom practitioners.

The validity of test items

This is an interrogation of the relationship between the syllabus and the test items. The interrogation seeks to determine whether the questions students are subjected to measure what they purport to measure. A misalignment between the syllabus and tests seriously contributes to low achievement levels.

The second issue on the list of things to consider is consistency in marking and marking schemes. Marking should be meticulous and beyond reproach. All teachers in a particular subject area should have a common understanding of the demands and complexity of the test items. A common understanding demands collaboration amongst teachers offering the same subject. There should be no goal shifting from one class to another. Consistency in the awarding of marks and grades guided by a commonly agreed marking scheme should be observed from one examination cycle to another. Working in silos within a department should be avoided at all costs. This ensures that students in blocks A and B are subjected to the same standard.

The third factor involves having a tailor-made instructional region (pedagogy) serving a mixed-ability setting. This begins with the recognition that different students have the right to learn and complete learning tasks at their own pace and on their own time. Each should be considered and supported in their own lane. Sometimes, teachers may inadvertently show a bias towards students with high cognitive skills, to the detriment of those perceived as having average academic abilities. And with others, it could be the other way around. A bias towards any side could have disastrous implications for student learning outcomes. Normally, average-achieving students constitute the majority of a class, and paying lip service to the bulk of the class presents serious problems. In the same token, teachers who pitch their academic offer to meet the needs of average achievers at the expense of top achievers risk alienating and extremely frustrating this important class of learners. Top achievers ought to be sufficiently challenged and engaged. On the flip side, benign neglect of high achievers could compel them to go into self-help and independent mode, which might lead to their academic prosperity. But a benign neglect of less-achieving students would result in many students falling below the set proficiency bar. Therefore, striking a semblance of balance between the interests of high-, average-, and low-achieving students is an appropriate panacea, bringing every student on board.