This article was put together by The Sutton Trust. It is a huge review of decades of educational research. If you want to read the whole report, scroll to the bottom of the page where you can download it. The review set out to address three apparently simple questions:
Having looked at decades of research done in univerisites and schools and focusing on educational effectiveness research, intervention studies and cognitive science, the authors identified six components of great teaching, about which they say: "This should be seen as offering a ‘starter kit’ for thinking about effective pedagogy. Good quality teaching will likely involve a combination of these attributes manifested at different times; the very best teachers are those that demonstrate all of these features”. This point, I think, captures our intuitive idea that there is more than one way of being a great teacher. 1. (Pedagogical) content knowledge (Strong evidence of impact on student outcomes) The most effective teachers have deep knowledge of the subjects they teach: this is especially true of teachers of maths, English and science. Coe et al explain: "As well as a strong understanding of the material being taught, teachers must also understand the ways students think about the content, be able to evaluate the thinking behind students’ own methods, and identify students’ common misconceptions". On this, I've included a link below to a grid that I use when planning that encourages me to think about potential misconceptions, keywords and also to plan the key questions. Feel free to have a look and use if it's helpful. 2. Quality of instruction (Strong evidence of impact on student outcomes) Quality of instruction is at the heart of all frameworks of teaching effectiveness. Key elements such as effective questioning and use of assessment are found in all of them. Specific practices like the need to review previous learning, provide models for the kinds of responses students are required to produce, provide adequate time for practice to embed skills securely and scaffold new learning are also elements of high quality instruction. 3. Classroom climate (Moderate evidence of impact on student outcomes) Again, the empirically based frameworks all include something on classroom climate, though this heading may cover a range of aspects of teaching. Some emphasise the quality of relationships and interactions between teachers and students. Also under this heading may come teacher expectations: the need to create a classroom environment that is constantly demanding more and never satisfied, but still affirming to students’ self-worth and not undermining their feelings of self-efficacy. Promotion of different kinds of motivational goals may also fit here, as may the different attributions teachers make and encourage for success and failure (e.g. fixed versus growth mindset, attributions to effort and strategy rather than ability or luck). Related to this is the valuing and promotion of resilience to failure (grit). 4. Classroom management (Moderate evidence of impact on student outcomes) All the empirically based frameworks include some element of classroom management. A teacher’s abilities to make efficient use of lesson time, to coordinate classroom resources and space, and to manage students’ behaviour with clear rules that are consistently enforced, are all relevant to maximising the learning that can take place. These factors are mostly not directly related to learning; they are necessary hygiene factors to allow learning, rather than direct components of it. 5. Teacher beliefs (Some evidence of impact on student outcomes) The idea that it matters why teachers adopt particular practices, the purposes they aim to achieve, their theories about what learning is and how it happens and their conceptual models of the nature and role of teaching in the learning process all seem to be important. Although the evidence to support this claim is not unequivocal, it seems strong enough to include it at this stage. 6. Professional behaviours (Some evidence of impact on student outcomes) It seems appropriate to include a final heading that captures some broader aspects of professional behaviour. Danielson’s Framework for Teaching includes elements such as reflecting on and developing professional practice, supporting colleagues, and liaising and communicating with stakeholders such as parents.
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