TPE DOMAIN D: LIT.

REVIEW

Teaching Performance Expectations

Domain D: Literature Review
Lorand Irinyi
National University

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

TED690 - Capstone
Instructor: Professor Clifton Johnson
June 22, 2016

TPE DOMAIN D: LIT. REVIEW

Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of the article by Frackson
Mumba et al., titled Mathematics and Science Teaching Fellows Instructional Planning
for K-12 Classrooms, published in SCIENCE EDUCATOR. This article demonstrates the
increasing recognition of the fundamental importance of instructional planning through
examining several studies conducted to explore this subject.

TPE DOMAIN D: LIT. REVIEW

Instructional planning plays a central and essential role in content presentation. It is a
vital element of good, successful teaching at all levels of education. This article examined
levels of teaching from grades K through 12. Although instructional planning has always
played an important role in education, it was not always universally recognized as an
absolutely essential element for good teaching. This article shows that this essential
element for good teaching has been increasing recognized by educators at various levels
of education. Instructional planning combines various components and practices and
teachers consider these components when they plan for teaching. Instructional planning is
essentially a chart, a map that lays out various objectives teachers wish to achieve, and
consider achievable objectives as well as takes students needs into consideration, with
well defined flow of activities, with beginning, middle and ending/concluding activities
in the lesson. The primary and defining purpose of Instructional Planning is to help
students in the teaching/learning process by providing them with meaningful learning
experiences. The article examined various studies of instructional planning practices of
teachers and reported on those studies. One of the studies the article examined was
conducted by Aikenhead (1984), in which teachers decision making was examined in
their instructional planning while planning for teaching. Aikenhead found that teachers
made decisions within a framework that holistically integrated the subject matter and
practical classroom knowledge. According to Aikenhead, practical classroom knowledge
embraces the basic beliefs of a teacher and the socialization of the learners (Mumba, et
al., 2007, p. 38). It was found that among the various factors that dominated the creation
of instructional planning by teachers, there were three factors that were dominating all
others when it came to selecting content, its implementation and developing instructional

TPE DOMAIN D: LIT. REVIEW

tasks/activities. These factors were student development, curriculum guide objectives,
and pressure of accountability from school administrators (Mumba, et al., 2007, p. 39).
There were other factors, too, that influenced teachers instructional practices. These
factors, among others, were teachers previous schooling, their teaching experience, their
role models and the context in which the instruction was taking place. Whatever factors
teachers take into consideration when planning for instruction, teachers consider
instructional planning as a framework for adopting various strategies that influence
positively the quality the teaching/learning process and its outcome. Whichever factors
were taken into consideration it was found that instructional planning occurs in three
phases: Preactive, Active (Interactive), and Postactive (Mumba, et al., 2007, p. 39).
In the first phase instructional objectives, teaching strategies, and teaching materials to be
used, were considered by teachers. In the second, Active phase, during the actual
teaching, interactions between students and the teacher were considered. The final, or
Post-active phase consisted of evaluating the actual instruction through self-reflection
and examination of assessment provided by students in the form of quizzes, tests, papers
labs and other projects. Although pre-service and in-service teachers gained their
experience in instructional planning mostly through their teacher education courses, it
must be noted that, The findings of this study also reinforce our professional
observations in science and mathematics teacher education that some teachers tend to
learn about instructional planning more effectively outside the traditional academic
courses (Mumba, et al., 2007, p. 42).

TPE DOMAIN D: LIT. REVIEW

References

Mumba, Frackson ; Chabalengula, Vivien Mweene ; Moore, Cynthia J. ; Hunter, William

J. F. (2007). Mathematics and Science Teaching Fellows' Instructional Planning for
K-12 Classrooms. Science Educator, Vol.16(2), p.38-43