Investigating Psychological Parameters of Effective Teaching in a Diverse Classroom Situation: The Case of the Higher Teachers’ Training College Maroua, Cameroon

Abstract

It is unfortunate that the significance of teaching is not usually apparent in most classrooms because teachers are not quite clear of what their priorities in class are. It seems that most teachers lose sight of what constitutes the concept of teaching, what it involves and the characteristics of the educational context where teaching occur (Tchombe,2009). This study intends to carry out a systematic justification of what constitutes effective teaching in a diverse classroom situation typical of the Higher Teachers’ Training College Maroua, of the Far North Region of Cameroon. Through this study, teaching will be conceptualized and the constituents of effective teaching behaviors will be identified. In today’s classrooms most teachers do not share an identity with many of their students. One measure of effective teaching is the ability to work effectively with students of different ethnic backgrounds while integrating the strategies of equity and excellence, Larke, P. (1992)). These strategies of equity and excellence require that male and female students, exceptional students, and those from diverse cultural, social, racial, religious and ethnic groups as exemplified by the higher teachers’ training college of the University of Maroua, all experience an equal opportunity in school. This means that all students must develop more positive attitudes towards cultural, racial, ethnic and religious groups. Effective teachers encourage positive attitudes towards multicultural groups by empowering all students, many of whom come from victimized groups (Banks, 1994), teaching them decision-making skills, and encouraging cross-cultural learning. Effective teachers utilize the beliefs and values of the students’ culture rather than the dominant culture as the foundation of teaching. Effective teachers in culturally diverse classrooms have high expectations for their students. To assist culturally diverse students in reaching these high expectations, these teachers modify their instructional strategies, classroom organization and whatever it takes to ensure with multicultural students.

Keywords: Effective Teaching, Psychological parameters, Diverse Classroom, Multicultural, Conceptualizing.