ZWAAGSTRA: Teacher development should focus on student learning not political ideology

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During a recent professional development session, teachers at an elementary school in the York Region were told that the “institution of Education is an instrumental tool for maintaining and furthering the ideology of white supremacy.” It’s hard to imagine how that claim will help teachers do a better job teaching math, science and reading. 

And according to new Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) data, from 2018 to 2025, the math scores of Ontario students dropped by 29 points and reading scores dropped by 30 points. For context, PISA equates 20 points to approximately one grade level. In other words, Ontario students are approximately one-and-a-half grade levels behind in their reading and math scores compared to 2018. Telling teachers that the education system is a tool of “white supremacy” won’t get those test scores up. 

All teacher professional development should have a laser-like focus on improving student achievement and promoting methods consistent with the science of learning. This simply means using teaching methods that have been shown, by peer-reviewed research, to be effective at helping students learn. For example, there’s a wealth of evidence that learning phonics (sounding out words by individual letters) is an important component of effective reading instruction. 

In 2022, the Ontario Human Rights Commission released its Right to Read report, which found that ineffective reading instruction programs such as “three cueing,” where students guess the meaning of words based on contextual clues, are far too prevalent in Ontario schools. This particularly disadvantages students from lower-income families since these parents are least able to hire tutors. 

Teachers must take charge of classrooms

Research also shows a strong connection between background knowledge and reading comprehension — the more you already know about the topic of a book or article, the more likely you’ll be able to understand what you’re reading. It’s not enough to teach students how to decode individual words; they need broad-based content knowledge from knowledge-rich instruction in all subjects. 

Similarly, there are plenty of ways to improve math instruction in Ontario schools. Research shows that memorizing basic math facts such as the times table makes it easier for students to solve more advanced math problems. Thus, teachers would benefit from professional development that shows them how to ensure all students commit math facts to memory. 

Finally, teachers should reject the often-repeated adage that they should be a “guide on the side rather than a sage on the stage.” Students won’t learn new skills through a magical process of self-discovery. Teachers must take charge of their classrooms, provide clear instruction, give students plenty of opportunity to practise new skills, and ensure that students receive meaningful feedback about their work. 

Fortunately, there are plenty of resources available for administrators who want to help teachers improve their teaching skills. For example, in 2012, education researcher Barak Rosenshine published his Principles of Instruction, which recommends everything from presenting new material in small steps (with student practice after each step) to asking a large number of questions and checking the responses of all students. All teachers would benefit from professional development that shows them how to implement Rosenshine’s principles in their classrooms. 

Given the urgent need to improve the quality of instruction in Ontario schools, school boards should not waste their teachers’ time by forcing them to attend professional development sessions that have no connection to student learning. Teacher improvement should focus on improving learning, not pushing a political ideology. 

— Michael Zwaagstra is a senior fellow at the Fraser Institute. 

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