Proud to be tvmbo - Kortlopend Onderwijsonderzoek

terms of language as well as in terms of content and can adjust their own level of English
as well as the level of the materials accordingly. They realize when it’s too difficult
for the students, switch to Dutch for difficult concepts and then return to English.
Another quality was the ability to check understanding well, for instance of materials
or of instructions. This enables the students to follow more easily.
Motivation and ambition
Good tvmbo teachers also speak fluent English and want to develop themselves further
in terms of English and methodology. They find it a challenge to teach in English.
These teachers also tend to be the innovative teachers in the team, are not afraid to
learn, are open to change and develop and are self-critical.
Below in Figure 5.1: Example of good practice: a biology lesson in year 1, we describe
a lesson which we observed and which we consider contains many of the elements
of a good tvmbo lesson mentioned in the interviews.
Figure 5.1: Example of good practice: a biology lesson in year 1
Revision of muscles and the skeleton
The first year class has been in tvmbo for 5 months. The classroom is organized into
groups of tables. The students come in and sit in groups of three or four around the
tables. The teacher (Charlotte – not her real name) has placed a piece of blank A3 paper
in advance on each table.
Charlotte talks English 100% of the time, simplifying if necessary but not using any
Dutch at all. If really necessary, she invites the children to explain to each other, occasionally
(but rarely) in Dutch. As well as talking English all the time, Charlotte gives
huge compliments for the work and for using English throughout the lesson. The children
all apparently understand more or less everything and participate eagerly and
enthusiastically.
Charlotte first explains that they are going to work on revising muscles and the skeleton
for a test next week. They are told to turn the pieces of paper over. In the middle of
two groups’ piece of paper is the word “muscle” and on the other group’s piece of paper
the word “skeleton”. She gives them seven minutes to make a mind map in their
groups about their word (the children know what a mind map is). ‘What do you know
already?’ she asks.
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