What is meant by 'objective' in an educational context?

In an educational context, 'objective' refers to a purpose or goal that efforts are intended to achieve. This encompasses the specific outcomes educators aim for in their teaching, guiding both instruction and assessment. Objectives provide a clear direction for what students should learn and be able to demonstrate after a lesson or course. They help align teaching methods and assessment strategies with desired learning outcomes, ensuring that all educational activities take students towards a defined endpoint.

In contrast, specific teaching methods refer to the way in which education is delivered rather than the end goals. Performance standards for teachers relate to the criteria used to evaluate instructors' effectiveness rather than the goals for student learning. Forms of assessment pertain to the tools and processes used to evaluate student understanding and skills, which support the objectives but do not define them. Understanding that an objective is fundamentally about the educational goals helps in both teaching and curriculum development.