Timeless Principles for Effective Teaching and Learning: A Modern Application of Historical Principles and Guidelines

Abstract

The purpose of this study is twofold: (a) to assess the perceived relevance of the Seven Timeless Principles and guidelines posited by Gregory (1886) for current educators and educators-in-training and (b) to develop and pilot test the instrument needed to accomplish the former. The “Rules for Teachers” Gregory attributes to each of these laws were used as guidelines to develop an assessment instrument. Eighty-four educators and future educators across three universities participated in an online survey using a 4-point Likert scale to evaluate the consistency of Gregory’s guidelines with modern best-teaching practices. Responses were framed within the Timeless Principles, providing a measure of pedagogical universality. Total mean scores for all principles and guidelines were greater than 3.0, suggesting that Gregory had indeed identified foundational principles of teaching and learning that maintain relevance across academic disciplines and in a variety of settings in which learning occurs.