Do superior teachers employ systematic instructional planning procedures? A descriptive study

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which a group of superior elementary and secondary school teachers employed systematic instructional planning practices. The research method employed was a multicase design in which nine teachers (five secondary and four elementary) from a single school district were studied. Qualitative data in the form of written surveys and face-to-face interviews were collected and analyzed. Results revealed that most oft he teachers' planning activities centered around six types of decisions. When the teachers' planning activities were compared with a systematic approach to instructional planning, the two approaches were found to be different in several important ways: the teachers did not place much emphasis on specifying objectives, creating objectives-based tests, or making other instructional decisions in light of objectives. Implications for teaching preservice teachers about systematic planning are discussed.