What the Best College Teachers Do

Ken Bain’s What the Best College Teachers Do strives to answer significant research questions, like how good educators can foster deep learning and achieve success with an eclectic blend of pupils. Bain answers these questions by assessing teaching practices and the way in which effective educators approach pedagogy. Teachers deemed “effective” meet several qualifications: Firstly, they must achieve learning outcomes that have a “sustained” impact on student thought and behavior, despite varied teaching methods (5). In Bain’s study, evidence could include, but was not limited to, student testimony: “[…] we wanted indications from the students that the teacher had ‘reached them’ intellectually and educationally, and had left them wanting more” (7). Secondly, an “effective” teacher’s colleagues must view their learning goals “as worthy and substantial” (8). Many of the study’s subjects moved beyond their own fields, valuing liberal arts education, critical thinking skills, student inquisitiveness, ethics, and the science of learning.

Evidence of deep learning among students also served as proof of teaching effectiveness. Students who questioned assumptions and valued lasting understanding indicated their instructor encouraged deep learning, while those who valued memorization did not. Bain studies such interviews and ratings of teaching effectiveness to form conclusions, but knows they must be analyzed alongside other types of data (like observations of instruction and course materials). Ultimately, he reached a series of conclusions about teaching effectiveness via 6 questions (the titles of Chapters 2-7): Firstly, he asked what effective teachers know and understand. They are all knowledgeable in their fields of expertise; some produce several publications, while others produce less but are engaged scholars who read beyond their fields. Yet, a well-read scholar does not necessarily make an effective teacher. The best college teachers are good communicators who “know how to simplify and clarify complex subjects […] and they can think about their own thinking in the discipline, analyzing its nature and evaluating its quality” (16). Bain’s subjects all had some knowledge of the science of learning, and used methods aligned with emerging scientific literature.

Secondly, Bain asked how effective educators prepare to teach and what they do in class. His subjects approached teaching like research and designed their courses backward, beginning with key questions rather than actions. Thirdly, he asked what effective teachers expect from their pupils: They emphasize goals for pupils “that embody the kind of thinking and acting expected for life” (18), rather than setting expectations for their own sake. Fourthly, they foster critical thinking in which students grapple with key questions that often challenge preconceptions in learning environments—reinforced by consistent feedback. Fifthly, Bain questioned how effective teachers treat learners: Emphasizing trust, “They usually believe that students want to learn, and they assume, until proven otherwise, that they can” (18). Sixthly, Bain inquired about instructors’ efforts to assess their own teaching. He discovered all subjects had a “systemic program” for evaluating and revising their instruction.

However, Bain’s findings do not prove successful college teachers never face difficulty or failure. Rather, openness to learning from mistakes fuels their effectiveness, and they never blame students for their challenges. These effective teachers also did not focus on personal achievements, in that “They saw their own efforts as a small part of an educational enterprise rather than an opportunity to display personal prowess” (20). Rather than keeping to themselves, they often collaborated with other teachers across disciplines to improve their teaching. Overall, Bain argues effective teaching skills are not inherent but cultivated through dedicated practice, reflection, and study.