This lecture explores the nuanced relationship between teaching quality and student achievement, drawing on data from a longitudinal study involving 2,569 Czech lower-secondary students across 143 classes. The study spans two time points, sixth grade (Spring 2023) and seventh grade (Spring 2024), and focuses on key dimensions of teaching quality: cognitive activation, supportive climate, and classroom management. Student achievement was assessed using standardized mathematics tests, while verbal and non-verbal participation in classroom discourse was analyzed as both an outcome and a moderator of teaching quality effects.

The findings reveal that teaching quality does not uniformly impact all students. Instead, the interaction between teaching practices and student participation plays a critical role, with cognitive activation being most effective in classrooms where students are actively engaged. Furthermore, the study highlights the importance of considering diverse student needs, as factors such as socioeconomic status and varying levels of participation influence the effectiveness of teaching quality dimensions. These insights raise important questions about equity in educational outcomes and the role of classroom practices in mitigating or exacerbating achievement gaps.

About the speaker

Klára Šeďová is a professor of Education at the Department of Educational Sciences, Faculty of Arts, Masaryk University. She leads the Brno Lab on Learning, Instruction, and Development (BOLD Lab), a research group focusing on innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Additionally, she serves as the Scientific Director of the National Institute for Research on Socio-Economic Impacts of Diseases and Systemic Risks (SYRI), a multidisciplinary consortium comprising Masaryk University, Charles University, and the Czech Academy of Sciences.

Wednesday March 19th over noon:

• 12h - 12h15 welcome & lunch (provided for all those who register for this lunch seminar)
• 12h15-13h15 lecture

Loaction: Stadscampus, de Meerminne, aula s.M.101 (St-Jacobstraat 2, 2000 Antwerp). 

Please confirm your attendance by mail at jan.vanhoof@uantwerpen.be before Monday March 17th.