Paper/Article Review No :1

Paper/Article Title :Chapter 1 – Understanding Education Quality

Author(s) :Colclough, C. et al.
Journal Title (if published) :Education for All – The Quality Imperative
(conference title) :
ISBN :92-3-103976-8
Volume No. :
Issue No. :
Date of Publication :2004
Publisher :United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization
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This initial chapter of this journal “Education for All: The Quality Imperative (EFA Global
Monitoring Report 2005) focuses on providing an in-depth discussion on understanding quality in
education. It also mentions the two principles which govern to what quality education is all about.
First, “cognitive development is identified as a major explicit objective of all education
systems”. This particular principle highlights only the cognitive domain of the learners. To assess our
learners, most of us teachers utilize the so-called pen-and-paper test during diagnostic, formative
and summative examinations. When our leaners enter college, they are required to pass the
entrance examinations provided by the institution they opt to enrol at. This formal procedure is one
way to “filter in” qualified applicants for enrolment. In here, quality is only defined in terms of
cognitive achievement. Obviously, it is only one-sided, and not a holistic approach to determine and
assess the full development of the learners (as the affective and psychomotor domains were not
being assessed in this case). In Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences, he identified various types
of intelligences that a learner possesses. The first principle mentioned is biased only for those who
are logical-mathematical, visual-spatial, and word smart learners. Hence, the capability of others
exhibiting other intelligences is not being addressed. In my opinion, there should be a revision on
how to improve more the way we assess our learners fusing our creative minds as 21 st century
skilled agents of change, assessing our millennial learners to the better modern version on how it
should be done not just in the teaching-learning process, but also in entrance examinations and
related forms of assessment.
The second element is “education’s role in encouraging learners’ creative and emotional
development, in supporting objectives of peace, citizenship and security, in promoting equality and
in passing global and local cultural values down to future generations.” This second principle merges
the affective domain and psychomotor domain. If we only cater the cognitive domain when
presenting lessons inside the class, we only make them feel as if they are robots and we are their
inventors manipulating them within an hour period. But, with the help of the other two mentioned
domains, we can easily make them realize that learning is enjoyable and worth engaging for.
Through this, we drive them towards a better version of themselves. The relevance of their day-to-
day schooling is objectively addressed and emphasized on them, giving them that intrinsic
motivation that as individuals, they have their significant purpose in life as they are engaged with
formal schooling.
The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) provided these ideal
five dimensions of quality: learners, environments, content, processes and outcomes.
First, we will tackle what learners are. Learners are diverse in many ways as in their age,
culture, religion, tradition, socio-economic status, and most especially, their learning styles and
multiple intelligences, which are crucial factors to be considered on what teaching strategies we are
going to apply day after day. In choosing what teaching styles (approaches, methods, strategies, and
techniques), we must consider the essence of what we are using, which, should and should always
be learner-centred).
Secondly, the quality of education is also affected by the learning environment. The
environment has a great role in setting the mood of the leaners. If the environment is conducive,
there is a higher chance of stimulating the learners to become good listeners, active participants,
and disciplined. Meanwhile, if the environment is something that is disorderly or inefficient with
materials needed for a learning experience to take place smoothly, then, learners are expected to
act unruly, and will not be able to give the very best that they can due to the hindrances they are
experiencing within their learning environment.
The third one is the content. This factor should always be given the highest priority when the
quality of education is considered and at stake. The content of what teachers deliver for every lesson
should possess validity, relevance, and accuracy. Teachers are recommended to acquire more than
one reference so as to make the content of the lesson be informative enough to sustain the queries
that linger on the minds of the learners during the discussion proper. With the acquisition of
multiple references, teachers will eventually explain the lesson with ease and clarity, and will be
confident enough in answering follow-up questions coming from the students, especially from the
ones who are advanced readers. Also, with various references, errors and misconceptions will be
eventually avoided, as teachers are considered as “fountains of knowledge”.
The fourth ones are the processes involved in the teaching learning process, in which the
teaching styles will come in the act. In this first chapter, teaching approaches are considered such as
humanist approaches, behaviourist approaches, critical approaches, indigenous approaches, and
adult education approaches. These approaches along the process can be applied depending on the
needs, wants and interests of the learners.
 The last factors are the outputs. This will determine how far the learners have gone
throughout their learning process, whether the education imparted on them is well-delivered and
executed or not.
The quality in education should be the sum of all the efforts of the teachers, administration
and school personnel as guided by the vision, mission, goals, and objectives of their respective
academic institution. Through this, quality education is an assurance in producing competitive
graduates who are self-driven towards success.

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