http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/volume-13-n ... l-teachers
Our research findings led us to highlight five attributes and approaches to effective gospel teaching: inviting the Spirit, enthusiasm, knowledge, personal relevance, and preparation. The authors acknowledge that there are many other aspects of effective gospel teaching and that entire books could be dedicated to each. This study focuses on what one sampling of students reported to be most significant and offers the results for readers to consider. It serves as an affirmation of the attributes and approaches to effective gospel teaching that most of us already know are important but that perhaps merit a more intentional reminder in our efforts to incorporate them. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “We need to be reminded more than we need to be instructed.”
Interesting findings include the following:
· “Funny” was ranked in the bottom five in the quantitative portion for all three groups (with scores of 3.91, 2.90, and 3.07, respectively), but was in the top ten answers for the open-response questions for both seminary (twenty-five mentions) and institute (ten mentions).
· “Eloquent” was universally rated low in the quantitative portion by all three groups (last for seminary, third to last for institute, and fourth to last by BYU students)
· “Object lessons” and “giving the class time to just think” also rated low in the quantitative portion (bottom third by all three groups).
· “Knows my name” was rated the eighth most important attribute in the quantitative portion by seminary students but was rated in the bottom third by institute students and last by BYU students.
· “Preparation” scored in the top six in all three lists for the quantitative portion (second for institute and third for BYU students).
· Females rated inviting the Spirit, being friendly, bearing testimony, class participation, and “makes me feel loved” at a statistically significantly[19] higher level than males (4.83 vs. 4.73, 4.21 vs. 4.06, 4.05 vs. 3.86, 3.91 vs. 3.69, and 3.80 vs. 3.64, respectively). Males scored “boldness” statistically significantly[20] higher than did females (3.66 vs. 3.35).
· Eloquence, “allows me to share my true feelings,” and class participation were rated significantly higher[21] for those with the highest GPA rating[22] when compared to all the other GPA groups.[23] Eloquence scored 3.63 by the highest GPA group vs. a range of 2.77 to 3.1 for all other GPA groups, “allows me to share my true feelings” scored 4.13 vs. a range of 3.2 to 3.62 for all other GPA groups, and class participation was rated 4.18 vs. a range of 3.5 to 3.77 for all other GPA groups.
· BYU students mention “teaches doctrine, not opinion” as the most important attribute eight times in the free-response section. It is not mentioned once in either of the other groups.
· Students seem to perceive “has the Spirit” and “spiritual” as somewhat different qualities. From what students said in the free-response section of the survey, we understand “spiritual” to be a description of a teacher’s nature, way of life, character, and sense of commitment to the gospel and spiritual things. “Has the Spirit” is taken to mean that when he or she teaches, the Spirit is present and that the Holy Ghost testifies to hearts that what is taught is true.
Looking at both the qualitative and quantitative portions of the results, five attributes stood out as the most frequently mentioned or highest rated among all groups: invites the Spirit, enthusiasm, knowledgeable, personal relevance, and preparation.
Effective gospel teachers give primacy to having the Spirit with them and seeking the Spirit as they teach. Elder Gene R. Cook said, “Who will do the teaching? The Comforter. Be sure you don’t believe you are the ‘true teacher.’ That is a serious mistake. . . . Be careful you do not get in the way. The major role of a teacher is to prepare the way such that the people will have a spiritual experience with the Lord. You are an instrument, not the teacher. The Lord is the One who knows the needs of those being taught. He is the One who can impress someone’s heart and cause them to change.”