Review: Mastering the Techniques of Teaching
Lowman. San Francisco: JosseyBass, 1995.
by Jill Lasser, Graduate Student Associate, TRC and Department of Slavic
Languages and Literatures
faculty evaluations reflect instructor competence or popularity? Can
graduate instructors and junior faculty be taught to teach well? How
can cooperative learning enhance student progress? What has psychological
research demonstrated about human learning and how can this information
be used to help instructors best organize their lectures? In Mastering
the Techniques of Teaching, Professor Joseph Lowman tackles these
and other controversial issues in teaching with an approach that is
both engaging and innovative.
point of departure for Lowman's discussion is his "twodimensional
model of teaching effectiveness," inspired by his observations
of exemplary faculty in New England and North Carolina. According to
this model, teaching effectiveness is a product of two distinct dimensions.
The first is the instructor's ability to stimulate intellectual excitement
in the classroom. Fundamental to this ability is the clarity of lectures
and their emotional impact on students, as well as the instructor's
knowledge, organization and flexibility. The second dimension is grounded
in the psychology of the classroom. An effective instructor is one who
promotes positive student emotions by fostering critical thinking and
creativity, showing sensitivity to students' feelings about the course
material, and promoting an atmosphere of respect.
used this model to define teaching effectiveness, Lowman guides the
reader through a discussion of the various factors and issues connected
with good teaching. His discussion may be considered in terms of three
main areas of concern:
Social psychological: sources of instructor and student satisfaction;
predictable changes in class rapport; attitudes that influence classroom
Pragmatic: developing interpersonal skills and teaching style;
obtaining feedback; analyzing and improving classroom performance; the
use of the video camera in teaching assessment; discussion leading;
integrating student learning in and out of the classroom; evaluating
Course preparation: defining course objectives; selecting and
organizing classroom materials; creating exams; designing the course.
providing both a critical review of the literature on teaching effectiveness,
as well as a plethora of teaching strategies applicable to any discipline,
Lowman appears to practice the good teaching he espouses. As he tackles
the issues and areas of concern that perplex many instructors, Lowman
writes with an inspirational clarity and enthusiasm. Seasoned faculty
and junior faculty alike should find here ample food for thought, and
also some good ideas to improve their teaching.
Lowman is a professor of psychology and assistant dean of arts and sciences
at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He has won numerous
awards for his outstanding teaching and serves on the editorial boards
of several publications on pedagogy.