Principles into practice: A teacher's guide to research evidence on ...

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4 LEARNING COMMUNITIESEvery teachermattersTERI PENGILLEYAs a formerassistant edi<strong>to</strong>rof The TimesEducationalSupplement, I washeavilyinfluenced bysomething the educational<strong>research</strong>er and former teacherMary Jane Drummond oncesaid <strong>to</strong> me. She said she’d like <strong>to</strong>read about teachers thinking.Not necessarily reachingsolutions, but examiningquestions very hard, tryingthings out and sharing theirreflections.In recent years, some haveargued that it is possible for<strong>research</strong> <strong>to</strong> determine “whatworks” in teaching – offeringcategoric answers <strong>to</strong> the knottydilemmas of <strong>practice</strong> and policy.The Teaching and LearningResearch Programme and itsmany projects are more modestand realistic. In addition <strong>to</strong> theinsights from particularprojects, they propose <strong>evidence</strong>informedprinciples <strong>to</strong> help withreflection and analysis, butrarely hard and fast answers.They recognise that one-sizefits-allsolutions are much likeone-size-fits-all garments – theydon’t actually fit anyone exceptthat mythical average child.What comes across clearlyfrom every project, though, isthe importance of fostering thewhole school as a learningcommunity, for teachers,parents and of course children.Findings from across theprogramme demonstrate thatteacher learning is essential <strong>to</strong>children’s learning. In order <strong>to</strong>help children <strong>to</strong> becomereflective learners, teachers firsthave <strong>to</strong> develop this dispositionfor themselves.There are even statistics <strong>to</strong>support this idea. Performancetables for 2002-4 comparingpupils from Learning How <strong>to</strong>Learn project schools with theprogress of those in similarschools show that three of thefour schools with the highestvalue added had high levels ofengagement with the projectand explicit strategies <strong>to</strong> supportteachers’ professionaldevelopment and networking.The <strong>research</strong>ers argue thatteacher learning is bothindividual and collective.Teachers need <strong>to</strong> gain newknowledge and skills within aculture that supports newthinking and innovation. Theyneed <strong>to</strong> learn how <strong>to</strong> evaluate<strong>evidence</strong> and <strong>to</strong> have “theconfidence <strong>to</strong> challenge takenfor-grantedassumptions,including their own”.In celebration of suchpersonal exploration, let mequote some of Mary JaneDrummond’s account of“Janice”, an infant teacher, inthe forthcoming LHTL book(see right):“As she discusses thetransition from the FoundationStage <strong>to</strong> Key Stage 1, sheexpresses some of her doubtsand uncertainties:“Does it actually help them ifthey are sitting how you wantthem <strong>to</strong> sit?“I don’t know whether theyare learning about learning orthey’re learning what I’m tellingthem.“Looking at the children andthinking whatever we’re doingisn’t working and thinking this isnot right for them… I think wefeel in a rush… and there’s notenough time <strong>to</strong> talk <strong>to</strong> thechildren or <strong>to</strong> think about howthey are going <strong>to</strong> learn best; it’sall been about what I’m going <strong>to</strong>teach them.”And later, the account goes on:“She continues <strong>to</strong> brood aboutthe human, emotionaldimension of her own learning,and the difficulty, even pain, ofworking outside the comfortzone: trying <strong>to</strong> do thingsdifferently. She is moving <strong>to</strong>wardswhat she calls a more holisticapproach <strong>to</strong> learning: ‘Learningconnects my mind, body and soul<strong>to</strong> understanding… as teacherswe seek for wider understandingof the whole person’.”Diane HofkinsDiane Hofkins is edi<strong>to</strong>r of this <strong>guide</strong>Teachers can bring their beliefsand pratice <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> harmonyTeachers need <strong>to</strong> appearcalm and confident in theclassroom, but inside,many are engaged in a tugof-warwithin their ownhearts and minds. Theirprinciples are pulling them in onedirection, but they believe thedemands of league tables andperformance targets are draggingthem in another.How can there be time for openenquiry, for pupils <strong>to</strong> set their owngoals or for experimentation? You’vegot <strong>to</strong> do well in national tests, sohow can you squeeze in other typesof assessment as well, even if youthink they are important?The work of Learning How <strong>to</strong>Learn and other TLRP projectsshows that teachers do not have <strong>to</strong>choose between teaching well andgetting good results.They found that the morereflective teachers came <strong>to</strong> be, theeasier it was for them <strong>to</strong> align theirbeliefs with their teaching.This was true of whole schools aswell. “Those schools that refused <strong>to</strong>be passive but worked – reflectively,strategically, intentionally andcollaboratively – on thecontradictions, <strong>to</strong> resolve them,showed signs of learning how <strong>to</strong>learn in much the way that weconceptualised LHTL by pupils andteachers” say TLRP deputy direc<strong>to</strong>rMary James and the project team intheir forthcoming book, ImprovingLearning How <strong>to</strong> Learn in Classrooms,Schools and Networks (Routledge).The central aim of this <strong>research</strong>and development project was <strong>to</strong>help children become selfmotivated,au<strong>to</strong>nomous learnerswho enjoyed the process of learningand unders<strong>to</strong>od what they needed<strong>to</strong> do <strong>to</strong> meet new challenges.Assessment for learning was apowerful way <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong> learning how <strong>to</strong>learn, say the <strong>research</strong>ers, whoworked with 40 primary and
5CASE STUDY: PERFORMANCE ARTSSecondary English teacher Angelaasked her Year 8s <strong>to</strong> consider adramatic rendition of a 19 thcentury poem, seeking <strong>to</strong> engagethem in the question of what makes forquality in a piece of work. She beganthe lesson by asking the pupils <strong>to</strong> drawup a list of criteria for performing apoem. Suggestions all came from thepupils while she probed, challengedand polished their contributions. Forexample:PupilYou could speed it up and slowit down.Angela Yes – pace, that’s veryimportant in reading.Angela and the classroom assistantthen performed the poem and invitedpupils <strong>to</strong> critique their performancebased on the criteria. A similar form ofprobing <strong>to</strong>ok place.PupilIt was boring.Angela What do you mean “boring”?PupilThere wasn’t enoughexpression in your face whenthe poem was being read or inthe reading.Angela So what could I have done <strong>to</strong>make it better?PupilYou could have looked andsounded more alarmed.secondary schools. But it is difficult<strong>to</strong> shift from reliance on specifictechniques <strong>to</strong> <strong>practice</strong>s based ondeep principles.As with any shift in <strong>practice</strong>, asurface interpretation (for examplea teacher using “traffic lights” sochildren can show whether or notthey have unders<strong>to</strong>od, withoutreally coming <strong>to</strong> terms with thephilosophy behind them) may onlybring about surface changes.Teachers need the intellectualresources <strong>to</strong> “know what <strong>to</strong> do whenASSESSING AFLAssessment for learningis effective when pupils:• Show changes in theirattitudes <strong>to</strong> learningand in their motivation,self-esteem,independence, initiativeand confidence• Show changes in theirresponses <strong>to</strong> questions,in contributions <strong>to</strong>plenary sessions andin explanations anddescriptions• Improve their attainment• Ask relevant questionsthey don’t know what <strong>to</strong> do”.Children, teachers and the schoolcommunity all need time <strong>to</strong> absorband use new ways of working.The innovations introduced <strong>in<strong>to</strong></strong>classrooms through the LHTLstudies incorporated somecombination of:• Developing classroom talk andquestioning. Teachers need <strong>to</strong> spendtime planning good diagnosticquestions, possibly with colleagues.Pupils can learn <strong>to</strong> ask questions<strong>to</strong>o, and reflect on answers. They• Are actively involved insetting targets, in peeror self-assessment,and in recognisingprogress in theirwritten work, skills,knowledge andunderstanding.will need more thinking time inorder <strong>to</strong> come up with moreprofound ideas.• Giving appropriate feedback. Carefulcommenting has been shown <strong>to</strong>work better than marks or evenmarks with comments.• Sharing criteria with learners. Thisincludes expectations, objectives,goals, targets and success criteria.• Peer- and self-assessment. Researchhas shown the greatest gains forchildren previously assessed ashaving weak basic skills. This maysuggest children didn’tunderstand what was expected,rather than that they lacked ability.• Thoughtful and active learners.Children need <strong>to</strong> understand thedesired outcomes and theprocesses of learning.Website www.learn<strong>to</strong>learn.ac.ukSee also “Getting <strong>to</strong> the heart of children”p 17, “A treasure chest of ideas” p 18The three tasks in Angela’s lesson –the creation of the criteria, theperformance of the poem and theapplication of the criteria <strong>to</strong> theperformances – governed both thepupils’ thinking about what wasneeded when they acted out the poemthemselves and the peer assessmen<strong>to</strong>f those performances.In interviews with <strong>research</strong>ers,Angela always described assessmenttasks as opportunities for the pupils <strong>to</strong>improve their performance.In this way the activities had anopen, fluid feel which correspondedwith the notion of promoting pupilau<strong>to</strong>nomy. It reinforced a sense oflimitless progress wherebyassessment is always seen as a <strong>to</strong>olfor changing future performancerather than for judging what has beendone already.From Improving Learning How <strong>to</strong> Learnin Classrooms, Schools and Networks(out this year)
Page 3: CONTENTS3468101317182022242627The l
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