The multiplication symbol has been used in the equation in Figure 1.1 rather than the addition symbol. The implication is that a demonstration of technical competence, no matter how good, on its own is not sufficient. A zero score for the approach to teaching or for professionalism will result in a total score for the rating of the teacher of zero.

Teaching is both an art and a science. Some teachers are instinctively good teachers but others may not be so. The reassuring fact, however, is that the art and science of teaching can be learned. The experienced teacher can develop further their teaching instinct and the new teacher can be helped to acquire this instinct and the necessary competencies, attitudes and professionalism.

What is required of a good teacher will vary to some extent depending on the subject being taught, and in which part of the world the teaching is taking place. There are however certain principles, approaches and views of teaching that are common to the different contexts. We highlight these in this book. It can be argued that the similarities are greater than any differences.

Technical competencies

Eight core areas of technical task-orientated competencies for a teacher are described in Figure 1.1.

A teacher should be competent in:

• preparing and giving lectures or presentations that engage the audience and make use of appropriate technology

• choosing appropriate small group methods and facilitating a small group teaching session

• teaching practical or clinical skills in a variety of settings including the work place

• facilitating and managing the student’s learning in a range of settings, giving the learner support to obtain the maximum benefit from the learning opportunities available, helping the student to assess his or her own competence and providing feedback to the learner as necessary

• planning an education programme for the students or trainees that combines appropriate learning opportunities to help them to achieve the expected learning outcomes

• identifying, developing and adapting learning resources for use by students in the form of handouts, study guides or multi-media presentations

• assessing the achievement of learning outcomes by the students or trainees using appropriate technologies including written, performance-based and portfolio assessments

• evaluating the education programme including the use of feedback from the learner and peer assessment.

When teachers are asked in how many of these competencies they would expect a good teacher to excel, the answers varies from all of the competencies to a selected number.

Approach to teaching

An effective teacher, in addition to having the necessary technical competencies, approaches their teaching with:

• An understanding of basic educational principles. As discussed in Chapter 2, an understanding of basic educational principles helps teachers to adapt the teaching approach to their own situation, to deal with problems and difficulties encountered, and to respond to the need for change as it arises.

• Appropriate ethics and attitudes. The ethical standards expected of medical teachers in their work as a teacher or researcher in medical education has been a focus of attention. As discussed in Chapter 3, the teacher’s attitude is about much more than ethical behaviour. A key factor in student learning is a teacher’s attitude, passion and enthusiasm for the subject and for their teaching.

• Strategies for decision making. Paralleling the move to evidence-based medicine, the need for the teacher to make education decisions informed by the best evidence available is very much on today’s agenda. At the same time the good teacher has to be able to behave intuitively and to respond appropriately to unexpected situations as they arise in the classroom or work-place learning situation. This is discussed in Chapter 4.

Professionalism and scholarship of teaching

Teachers as professionals should be inquirers into their own competence, should reflect on their own teaching practice, and should audit the quality of their teaching. Teachers have the responsibility to keep themselves up-to-date with current approaches to teaching, and to communicate their own experiences and lessons learned to others. This is discussed in Chapter 5.

Writing in Scholarship Reconsidered, Boyer (1990) described teaching as one of the scholarships expected of faculty or staff in a university.

The roles of the teacher

What is expected of teachers will vary depending on their particular role. Harden and Crosby (2000) have identified twelve roles of a teacher, grouped into six areas (Fig. 1.2):

• information provider in a classroom lecture setting or in a clinical or practical class

• role model on the job in clinical practice or in the teaching context

• learning facilitator or mentor

• assessor of the student’s learning and a curriculum evaluator

• curriculum planner or course organiser

• developer of learning resources or producer of study guides.

Fig 1.2 The twelve roles of the teacher.

Roles to the right in Figure 1.2 require more content expertise or knowledge and roles to the left more educational expertise. Roles to the top are associated with face-to-face contact with students and roles to the bottom of the diagram are associated with less student contact. Teaching usually combines several of these roles. It would be unusual to expect a teacher to fulfil all of the roles.

A questionnaire that can be used to assess a teacher’s perception of the importance of the twelve roles, their current personal commitment to each role and their preferred personal future commitment is given in Appendix 7.

As will be seen in the chapters that follow, the different roles and responsibilities require of the teacher a range of competencies and attributes. This can be assessed using the grid in Appendix 7.