Enhancing Teaching: Insights from Evidence-Based Practices
In an educational landscape marked by innovation and inquiry, a comprehensive review conducted jointly by the Sutton Trust and Durham University offers invaluable insights into the elements of teaching that wield the greatest impact on student attainment. Drawing from over 200 research pieces, this seminal 57-page report illuminates evidence-backed practices while debunking common misconceptions prevalent in educational circles.
Unveiling the Key Factors
Amidst a plethora of pedagogical approaches, the report identifies six key factors that underpin exceptional teaching:
- Teachers’ Content Knowledge: Profound subject expertise empowers educators to grasp students’ conceptual frameworks and address prevalent misconceptions effectively. It underscores the criticality of educators’ in-depth understanding of their subjects, coupled with an ability to discern students’ cognitive processes.
- Quality of Instruction: The art of instruction encompasses strategies such as incisive questioning, adept use of assessments, and scaffolding learning experiences. Leveraging these practices fosters a dynamic learning environment conducive to deep understanding and skill acquisition.
Evidence-Backed Practices
The report highlights specific practices buttressed by robust evidence of their efficacy:
- Classroom Climate: Nurturing a climate of high expectations and resilience cultivates a growth mindset among students, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and perseverance.
- Classroom Management: Efficient resource utilisation, consistent behaviour management, and purposeful lesson structuring create an optimal learning milieu, amplifying students’ engagement and achievement.
Dispelling Myths
In a bid to dispel entrenched myths, the report challenges commonly adopted practices lacking empirical support:
- Praise and Discovery Learning: Excessive praise and unfettered discovery learning fail to yield substantial gains in student attainment, necessitating a recalibration of instructional approaches.
- Grouping by Ability and Preferred Learning Styles: Rigid ability grouping and adherence to purported learning style preferences overlook nuanced instructional needs, posing impediments to holistic learning experiences.
A Call to Action
As educators navigate the terrain of pedagogical innovation, the report serves as a clarion call for evidence-informed teaching practices. By embracing a paradigm grounded in research-backed methodologies and discarding entrenched fallacies, educators pave the path for transformative learning experiences, equipping students with the skills and resilience vital for success in an ever-evolving world.
Join the Discourse
Let’s embark on a collective journey towards evidence-based teaching. Share your reflections and insights using the hashtags below.
Hashtags for Sharing
#TeachingExcellence #EvidenceBasedEducation #StudentAttainment #PedagogicalPractices #EducationResearch
In our pursuit of educational excellence, let us heed the clarion call to anchor our practices in evidence, fostering an environment where every learner can thrive and succeed.
The full report, “What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research”, by Robert Coe, Cesare Aloisi, Steve Higgins and Lee Elliot Major, October 2014, is available here:
http://www.suttontrust.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/What-makes-great-teaching-FINAL-4.11.14.pdf