Thesis
Culture and good teachers: a comparison of how Libyan teachers define the characteristics of effective teachers before and after living in the United States
Washington State University
Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
2013
Handle:
https://hdl.handle.net/2376/100383
Abstract
Culture is believed to be influential in determining the nature of our behaviors and beliefs regarding different issues as humans. Therefore, when it comes to defining good or effective teaching, it might be expected that the definition of good teaching would cross cultural lines or even be a universal aspect that doesn't differ from one culture to another. This study aimed to investigate whether the living context or where we live, grow up, and study changes the way we define a good teacher. The main goals of the study were to provide a definition for the concept of "good teacher" in the Libyan educational context as well as considering whether living in a different environment changes the attitudes of Libyans about how they define good teaching. Using an electronically emailed open-ended survey questionnaire provided both in English and Arabic to 31 Libyan teachers teaching at K-12 to university level as well as interviewing seven graduate students and teachers who attended college in the United States, the study shows that Libyans define a good teacher quite differently than many Americans do. Almost all of the participants (32 out of 38) indicated that a good teacher in the Libyan context is someone with much teaching experience , with deep knowledge of the content and the curriculum as well as someone with a very strict management style and personality. Most of the participants downplayed the importance of communication with the students, which seems important in the American education context, and even indicated that creativity in teaching and using technology are not necessarily desirable requirements for effective teachers.
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Details
- Title
- Culture and good teachers
- Creators
- Maryam Naje Kriama
- Contributors
- Barbara A. Ward (Degree Supervisor)
- Awarding Institution
- Washington State University
- Academic Unit
- Teaching and Learning, Department of
- Theses and Dissertations
- Master of Arts (MA), Washington State University
- Publisher
- Washington State University; [Pullman, Washington] :
- Identifiers
- 99900525047701842
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Thesis