The Sutton Trust’s paper, ‘what
makes great teaching?’ identifies quality of instruction as one of the
components that has the greatest impact on pupil outcomes. Effective
instruction enables teachers to deal with the limitations of working memory and
ensures that pupils spend more time thinking about content, making it more
likely that learning will occur.
Rosenshine’s
paper; ‘research based strategies that all teachers should know’ is receiving
growing admiration. His ten principles of instruction provide a clear guide to
evidence-informed teaching and schools are adopting these to provide their
teachers with an insight into effective instruction.
To an extent,
all teachers may argue that these principles are, and have always been, evident
in their practice. However, there needs to be clarity on the most effective way
to apply these principles so that they achieve the desired outcome. The ten
principles themselves are simple but doing them well in the classroom is
complex. Here is what I believe needs greater consideration to ensure that
principles of instruction achieve the desired effect in the classroom:
1.
What
does each principle look like when it is and is not being used effectively?
2. Are
the principles discussed at a subject level? Can teachers use them to gain a
shared understanding of what great teaching looks like in their subject?
3. It’s
more than simply using the principles, it is giving careful consideration to when
they are employed in a teaching sequence. For example: how are the principles
being used to help pupils progress from being dependent on the teacher for
knowledge to being independent?
4. Do
teachers understand the complexities of learning? Having an understanding of
the learning process will improve teachers’ instruction. For example:
·
How
might daily review be used to reactivate prior knowledge before introducing new
material?
·
How
can the principles be used to help teachers deal with the limitations of
working memory?
·
How
might a knowledge of cognitive load theory improve a teacher’s ability to
present new material in small steps?
·
Can
questioning be used to help identify and address misconceptions?
·
How
is guided practice used to help ensure a high success rate before pupils
progress to independent practice?
·
Which principles might be used to ensure pupils
are secure in a topic/concept before progressing?
·
Can practice be used to help pupils learn key
concepts to automaticity?
5. Teaching
needs to be considered in the context of the curriculum. How does instruction help
contribute to continually building on prior knowledge, revisiting key
ideas and explicitly making connections between topics so that pupils develop
meaningful schemas?
6. Although
pupils may experience the same lesson, they might learn completely different
things. When planning the curriculum do we consider the unique set of experiences and
level of prior knowledge pupils bring with them to lessons?
- Our own intuitions as to how we learn and how we should teach are not always correct. What processes are in place to challenge teachers’ understanding and therefore their practice of effective instruction?
We
need to ensure that the principles of instruction do not just become the next
big thing or a quick win. I feel that there is a danger that some schools will
introduce a whole school approach which is overly simplified and, as a result, these
principles will be shoehorned into lessons without any real understanding of
how to implement them effectively.
Leaders
need to provide an infrastructure that enables teachers to carefully consider
the complexities of applying the principles of instruction. Can leaders support
the successful adoption of the principles of instruction by:
- Providing time for professional dialogue and collaboration to ensure that the effective instruction can be explored at a subject level?
- Ensuring that developmental processes are in place to improve the quality of instruction. For example: Do post-lesson observation conversations involve the observer asking a series of questions to encourage the teacher to reflect, on how the design and delivery of the lesson contributes to securely embedding knowledge?
- Designing professional learning opportunities, which engages teachers with the principles, allows them to develop their classroom practice and monitors the impact on pupils’ learning?
Rosenshine’s
principles of instruction provide a fantastic opportunity for teachers to
engage with research to inform their practice. However, do not just stick the
poster up in the staffroom or use them as a set of criteria to observe lessons. Please, give it the time and dedication it deserves.