GATEways to Teacher Education

A journal of the Georgia Association of Teacher Educators participant said, “Lecture is an effective tool if delivering content in a specific manner, and in a way that students understand. It also allows for quick-response feedback if students are not understanding the material” (Field Notes, April 2021). One respondent shared that lecture “is part of how to deliver content to students as a healthy balance” with preparing students for standardized tests (Field Notes, May 2021). These statements highlight the belief among preservice and in-service teachers that lecture was an instructional method best suited to meet the needs of their students in learning content, preparing for standardized tests. When asked about how lecture meets the needs of students, some participants remarked that lecture was beneficial because their formal talks were “interactive and engaging…[and] culturally relevant” (Field Notes, April 2021). For example, one respondent stated:

I try to bring in something students are interested in like stories that they are likely to discuss and make relevant comparisons in terms of a lot of historical things we deal with. When it comes to history, students often just listen and listen and listen instead of having conversation. We need to open up dialogue where learning occurs on a higher level (Filed Notes, April 2021).

Another participant remarked, “lecture works when you have the connection with the students and when you are able to make an association that they are able to comprehend” (Field Notes, April 2021). Moreover, respondents noted that lectures that were accompanied by videos, visuals, and notetaking supports such as graphic organizers can bolster engagement and provide “immediate remediation” if students need assistance with grasping content and skills in a lesson (Field Notes,April 2021). These responses show that participants believed lecture was an effective method due to their rapport with students and their ability to facilitate discussion with technology that included enhanced presentations and notetaking supports. Although mentioned, participants did not divulge how they used their knowledge of students’interests, backgrounds, or other assets to design and deliver lectures that were culturally relevant to the lives and experiential knowledge of their students.

Another reason why participants indicated that lecture was an effective instructional strategy was to support students’reading abilities and social studies content knowledge. One respondent, who teaches in a high-poverty area with struggling readers, stated: We need to give students the lesson first. I respect the school’s expectation for small groups, but sometimes lecturing gives kids confidence that the teacher knows what they are talking about. Lecturing gives students a chance to ask questions about misconceptions, and it gives the teacher a chance to give context, especially in social studies.

Furthermore, this same participant noted: If I don’t explain the context of thelesson, or we don’t have that dialogue then the context gets lost in the shuffle… It’s hard if I don’t help students make that connection. And the only way that I feel I can do that is teaching in a way