What makes great teaching?Robert CoeResearchED Research Leads Network Day, 13 December 2014

∂

2

1. Pedagogy

3

∂

Dimensions of great teaching

1. (Pedagogical) content knowledge

2. Quality of instruction

3. Classroom management / behaviour / control

4. Classroom climate / relationships / expectations

5. Beliefs (theory) about subject, learning & teaching

6. Wider professional elements: collegiality, PD, stakeholder relationships

4

∂

1. We do that already (don’t we?)

Reviewing previous learning Setting high expectations Using higher-order questions Giving feedback to learners Having deep subject knowledge Understanding student misconceptions Managing time and resources Building relationships of trust and challenge Dealing with disruption

5

∂

6

Self-evaluation and feedback High expectations

– Ask students: “How often is Mr X satisfied with your work?”

– “When you agree a target, do you believe you will achieve it? Do you think your teacher believes you can achieve it?”

Deep subject knowledge– Could you sit the exam (in half the time and get full

marks)?

Managing time and resources– An observer records: What fraction of the lesson do

students spend (apparently) thinking hard about the material to be learnt?

∂

2. Do we always do that?

Challenging students to identify the reason why an activity is taking place in the lesson

Asking a large number of questions and checking the responses of all students

Raising different types of questions (i.e., process and product) at appropriate difficulty level

Giving time for students to respond to questions Spacing-out study or practice on a given topic, with

gaps in between for forgetting Making students take tests or generate answers, even

before they have been taught the material Engaging students in weekly and monthly review

7

∂

3. We don’t do that (hopefully) Use praise lavishly Allow learners to discover key ideas for themselves Group learners by ability Encourage re-reading and highlighting to memorise

key ideas Address issues of confidence and low aspirations

before you try to teach content Present information to learners in their preferred

learning style Ensure learners are always active, rather than

listening passively, if you want them to remember

8

∂

Just a check-list of techniques?

No! Great teaching involves– selecting, integrating, orchestrating, adapting,

monitoring, responding, etc,

and depends on – context, history, personalities, relationships, etc,

But without the skills, a teacher’s choices are more limited

Developing these skills & techniques takes dedicated, extended practice, with feedback

9

2. Other claims

10

∂

Methods of identifying effectiveness

classroom observations by peers, school leaders or external evaluators

‘value-added’ models (assessing gains in student achievement)

student ratings headteacher judgement teacher self-reports analysis of classroom artefacts and teacher

portfolios

11

∂

Sustained professional learning is most likely to result when:

the focus is kept clearly on improving student outcomes; feedback is related to clear, specific and challenging

goals for the recipient; attention is on the learning rather than to the person or

to comparisons with others; teachers are encouraged to be continual independent

learners; feedback is mediated by a mentor in an environment of

trust and support; an environment of professional learning and support is

promoted by the school’s leadership

12

∂

Beware these traps

Overconfidence about knowledge of what is effective

Focus on teaching rather than learning Thinking that we are doing it already Overconfidence in assessments (even if

formative) of teaching quality Thinking that if we assess teaching we must

attach consequences to that (cf ‘assessment for learning’)

13

3. Tools

14

∂

Pupil survey (from Tripod) Student behavior in this class is under control. I hate the way that students behave in this

class. Student behavior in this class makes the

teacher angry. Student behavior in this class is a problem. My classmates behave the way my teacher

wants them to. Students in this class treat the teacher with

respect. Our class stays busy and doesn't waste time.

15

∂

Time on task observation tool

16

Next observation

1.2sJimmy Bone-Idle

On task

Off task

Not clear

‘On task’ = thinking hard about what they are supposed to be learning

∂

Measuring quality of instruction

Requires ‘high inference’ judgements May be no alternative to extensive training

(eg CLASS, Danielson FFT) Worth trying:

– Specify skills and context (eg Y9 algebra, questioning to check understanding)

– Peer review of video excerpts– Rating using ACJ (Adaptive Comparative Judgement)

17

∂

Tools/strategies must …

Challenge the ‘we think we do that already’ trap

Keep the main thing the main thing: student outcomes

Build in impact evaluation: Does using it improve outcomes?

(Cannot work without background of good assessment of student outcomes)

18

∂

Practical toolkit ideas … Guide to help teachers to focus on what

really matters– Research-based elements of effectiveness: ‘what

works and why’

Tools to help teachers to see progress against immediate goal– Eg tool for tracking student time on task, quality of

questioning, high expectations

Assessments to keep longer-term goals in view (and evaluate against them)

19