Teachers' views of quality teaching/learning at the infant level in a new primary school

Abstract

This study sought to gain an understanding of the quality of teaching and learning provided at a newly built primary school. This school was intended to provide a setting for high-quality education for young children, and was equipped with modern physical facilities. A qualitative approach was used to obtain teachers' views of the quality of teaching and learning provided at the Infant level of the school. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews. The questions that guided the study were: (a) What are teachers' views about factors that support quality teaching and learning in the Infant Department of a primary school? and (b) What are teachers' views about factors that inhibit quality teaching and learning in the Infant Department of a primary school? The findings indicated that the quality of teaching and learning provided in the Infant level classrooms was influenced by a number of factors related to the home/school connection, critical school support, teacher attributes, and student attributes. New findings about educational change issues that could facilitate quality teaching when moving to a new school setting also emerged