Learning and Teaching

Lectures for BA(Ed) Year 1: Education in Practice Lecture 1:

School Learning and Teaching Effectiveness

Available at:

http://www.dur.ac.uk/r.j.coe/learnteach

Dr Robert Coe 5.11.01

Learning and Teaching

School learning and teaching effectiveness Individual differences in learning Classroom strategies: cooperative learning Classroom strategies: formative assessment Trying to improve school learning: theory and practice

Core text: Croll and Hastings Effective Primary Teaching

Lecture summary
Theories of learning and development have implications for teaching. A number of models of school learning have tried to understand what factors influence learning. However, trying to infer good practice is problematic.

Theories of learning (1)

Skinner

Conditioning: reinforcement and reward

Behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences

Implications for teaching: Merit marks, demerits, detentions, praise Bad behaviour gets attention Assertive Discipline: explicit rewards and consequences Behaviour learning vs intellectual learning

Theories of learning (2)

Piaget

Stages of development

Sensorimotor, Pre-operational, Concrete operational, Formal operational Implications for teaching: Readiness Curriculum design Teaching methods
assimilation/accommodation Implications for teaching: Discovery learning Create disequilibrium accommodation Focus on mistakes

Schemas

Theories of learning (3)

Vygotsky

Social learning

Child as apprentice

Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)

Achievement depends not just on current ability, but on capacity to make use of help. Adapt teaching to the learners success and failure

Scaffolding:

Theories of learning (4)

Bandura: Social Learning Theory

Reinforcement as information

Response not automatic

Observational learning: watching others

Paying attention Coding observed behaviour Retaining memory Reproducing behaviour accurately Motivation

Learning in school

Bruner

Modes of representation: enactive, iconic, symbolic Spiral curriculum: any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development
reception/discovery rote/meaningful Advanced organisers

Ausubel

Theories of school learning (1)

Carroll (1963) Five factors:

Aptitude Ability to understand instruction Perseverance Opportunity Quality of instruction

Theories of school learning (2)

Slavin (1984) Alterable variables (QAIT):

Quality of instruction Appropriate levels of instruction Incentive Time

Theories of school learning (3)

Walberg (1980) Nine factors:

Student age/developmental level Ability/prior achievement Motivation Quantity of instruction Quality of instruction Classroom environment Home influence Peer group Mass media

Which variables are most important?

Based on research and expert opinions (Wang et al. 1993):

Classroom management Metacognitive Cognitive Home environment / parental support Student / teacher interactions Social and behavioural Motivation and affective Peer group Quantity of instruction School culture

Implications for teaching

Are theories useful?

Theory: helps to account for / predict All teachers have theories Formal theories have implications
I cant get him to sit still and pay attention I have been over it again and again, but they still dont get it I think Ill just consult the research literature on this

Can research help teaching?

Problems with researchinformed teaching

Research is inaccessible Research is irrelevant to practice

but even when it is accessible,

but even when it is relevant,

Research is descriptive, and seldom evaluates feasible solutions All schools/classrooms are different anyway
Objectives of teaching are not well-defined

but even when it does,

and besides,

An example of useless research (Hay McBer)

Set high expectations Are good at planning Employ a variety of teaching strategies Have a clear strategy for pupil management Manage time and resources wisely Employ a range of assessment methods Set appropriate homework Keep pupils on task
(For which the DfEE paid 3m*)

Is it causation or just correlation?

It remains to be seen how many of the teacher characteristics HayMcBer associates with pupil success are among the real causes of that success. Some may just be incidental to it or even the consequence of it. It is no revelation, for instance, that classroom disruption reduces effectiveness. But what comes first, the chicken of good behaviour or the egg of satisfying learning? TES 23.6.00

Can the variables be altered?

And how far can an individual teacher alone raise pupil aspirations or produce good order without the wider support of home and school?

TES 23.6.00 (cont.)

Characteristics teachers must show to pass the threshold

Analytical Thinking
The ability to think logically, break things down, and recognise cause and effect

The more variables there are for the teacher to analyse, the greater the sophistication of thought required to see cause and effect.

Shows that he or she can analyse the reasons for actions and behaviour. Analyses the reason for something. Demonstrates an ability to think through an implication. Considers several possible causes for any given situation. Demonstrates consideration of multiple implications.
From the Hay McBer report

H av in g a to p
Every lesson Once a term Once a month Once a fortnight Never or almost never 1 2 3 4 6 Once or twice 5 a week

Teaching is more complex

Average frequency of activities in class
Geology departments

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