Abstract

Effective teaching is a factor that is considered, in public view, as a prerequisite for effective learning. The ability of learners to acquire a meaningful understanding of the content and ability to practically engage such understanding in solving challenges they face in life, will depend on the professional craft nature of the teacher in his attempt to maximize learner understanding of what is being learned. Education stakeholders have always linked such teachers with various attributes in an attempt to qualify their exemplary achievements in their profession. This paper seeks to establish the perception about an exemplary teacher as held by Master of Education Students at a university in Eastern Africa. It presents views of the students and makes a generalization of who an exemplary teacher is. This investigation was based on a whole population sample of 22 participants. The focus was on issues such as work planning, classroom practices, classroom management and personal view points and how these attributes are perceived by the participants in qualifying who an exemplary teacher is. Results show that an exemplary teacher is one who maintains high standards in all the four competencies investigated, with work planning being the most significant attribute. Personal view points on learner, teacher and gender issues investigated reveal that teacher’s ability to attend to work with other teachers, rate high as significant attributes of an exemplary teacher.