ESTABLISHING A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CULTURE …€¦ · ESTABLISHING A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CULTURE IN YOUR SCHOOL ... Is the learning environment a ... they they share share their

ESTABLISHING A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CULTURE IN YOUR SCHOOL TO PROMOTE QUALITY PEDAGOGY

Administrators - how do you know that quality teaching is happening in your school?

Teachers- do you ever stop and think about the intellectual quality of what you are doing with your students? Is the learning environment a quality one? Does what you are teaching have real significance to your students beyond the classroom?

Pedagogy is the term commonly used to describe the art and science of teaching. Pedagogy can be seen in the activity that takes place in classrooms and in the nature of the learning and assessment tasks set by the teachers. Pedagogy recognizes that how teachers teach and assess is inseparable from what they teach and assess, who their students are and how students learn.

There has been a long history of research that has attempted to identify teaching practices that will improve students’ learning. Research has consistently shown that it is the quality of the teaching that most directly and powerfully affects the quality of the learning outcomes of students. Only recently have researchers come to a common agreement about what constitutes quality pedagogy. From this research the Quality Teaching Framework of Pedagogy has been developed.

This workshop will explore the three dimensions of the Quality Teaching Framework currently being used by many Australian schools to improve classroom and assessment practices. The Framework is used to support teacher professional learning and dialogue. It is intended to guide teacher reflection and analysis. Teachers use it individually or in groups to analyze current classroom practices in order to understand how those practices can be improved. They use the framework to guide the planning and redesign of lessons, activities and units of work.

ELIZABETH COURTOIS - HEAD of CURRICULUM - [email protected] International School of Hyderabad INDIA

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INTRODUCTION TO THE INTRODUCTION TO THE QUALITY TEACHING QUALITY TEACHING

FRAMEWORK OF FRAMEWORK OF PEDAGOGYPEDAGOGY

ELIZABETH COURTOISINTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

OFHYDERABAD


Session outline……

l Introduction to QT –history

l The QT Framework – a journey to improve practice

l The 3 dimensions and 18 elements


What is Good Teaching?

1. Consider a recent ‘quality’ lesson……

2. What did you do?

3. What did the students do?

4. List what the ‘quality elements’ were…..


QUALITY TEACHING FRAMEWORK

l The Quality Teaching Framework is based on the latest international research.

l It can be applied from R-12 and across all key learning areas.

l It has been shown to improve the academic outcomes of all students. It respects the work of teachers and provides them with a practical and useful framework for professional dialogue, for planning and redesigning lessons and for reflecting on the quality of what they do in the classroom.


QUALITY TEACHING FRAMEWORK

The model is based on three pedagogical

dimensions:

l Intellectual Quality

l Quality Learning Environment

l Significance.

Each of the three dimensions of pedagogy can be described in terms of six elements. The three dimensions should be present in every lesson, but not necessarily all of the 18 elements.


While intellectual quality is central, all three dimensions are essential for improved student outcomes.


INTELLECTUAL QUALITY refers to:INTELLECTUAL QUALITY refers to:

ll pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important concepts and patterns, skills and ideasimportant concepts and patterns, skills and ideas

ll knowledge requiring active construction by students for knowledge requiring active construction by students for deep understandingdeep understanding

ll the fact that knowledge is not certain but problematicthe fact that knowledge is not certain but problematic

ll students engaging in higherstudents engaging in higher--order thinkingorder thinking

ll students communicating substantively about what they are students communicating substantively about what they are learning, using the standard language and form required learning, using the standard language and form required for the learning purposefor the learning purpose


The elements of The elements of Intellectual QualityIntellectual Quality

ll Deep knowledgeDeep knowledge

ll Deep understandingDeep understanding

ll Problematic knowledgeProblematic knowledge

ll Higher order thinkingHigher order thinking

ll MetalanguageMetalanguage

ll Substantive communicationSubstantive communication


DEEP KNOWLEDGEDEEP KNOWLEDGE is measurable in a is measurable in a lesson when:lesson when:

ll it concerns the central ideas or concepts of a topic it concerns the central ideas or concepts of a topic or subject and when the knowledge is judged to be or subject and when the knowledge is judged to be crucial to the topic or subject.crucial to the topic or subject.

ll deep deep knowledge knowledge is evident in a task when is evident in a task when students are required to address the centrality or students are required to address the centrality or complexity of 1 or 2 key concepts or ideas, and to complexity of 1 or 2 key concepts or ideas, and to articulate relatively complex relationships between articulate relatively complex relationships between central concepts.central concepts.


INTELLECTUAL QUALITYINTELLECTUAL QUALITY

What do I want my students to learn?

Why does that learning matter?


DEEP UNDERSTANDINGDEEP UNDERSTANDING is present when:is present when:

ll students demonstrate deep rather than superficial students demonstrate deep rather than superficial understanding of their learning.understanding of their learning.

They demonstrate this by:They demonstrate this by:

ll making statements supported by evidence (teacher making statements supported by evidence (teacher seeks evidence),seeks evidence),

ll constructing answers using the correct language and constructing answers using the correct language and form.form.


PROBLEMATIC KNOWLEDGEPROBLEMATIC KNOWLEDGE is covered is covered in a lesson or learning sequence when:in a lesson or learning sequence when:

ll students are required to present or students are required to present or analyseanalyse alternative perspectives alternative perspectives and/or solutions and to demonstrate how the construction of and/or solutions and to demonstrate how the construction of knowledge relates to their understanding of the task,knowledge relates to their understanding of the task,

ll knowledge is presented as socially constructed and different forknowledge is presented as socially constructed and different for

–– different peopledifferent people

–– at different timesat different times

–– in different placesin different places

–– for different reasons …for different reasons …

ll knowledge is not fixed, right/wrong.knowledge is not fixed, right/wrong.


HIGHER ORDER THINKINGHIGHER ORDER THINKING occurs occurs when:when:

ll students students organiseorganise, , reorganisereorganise, apply, , apply, analyseanalyse, , synthesisesynthesise and and evaluate knowledge and information.evaluate knowledge and information.

ll Students create new meanings, appropriate old ideas.Students create new meanings, appropriate old ideas.

ll Bloom’s taxonomy [1956], Anderson & Bloom’s taxonomy [1956], Anderson & KrathwohlKrathwohl [2000])[2000])

ll HOT does not only occur in written responses.HOT does not only occur in written responses.

ll students are sharing answers with friends, engaged in group or students are sharing answers with friends, engaged in group or peer discussions where they share their peer discussions where they share their metacognitivemetacognitive processes processes formally or informally.formally or informally.


METALANGUAGEMETALANGUAGE is:is:

ll students commenting on language and how it works.students commenting on language and how it works.

ll exploration of specialist language and its purpose and exploration of specialist language and its purpose and power.power.

ll teacher or student discussions that scaffold students teacher or student discussions that scaffold students correct use of language, grammar, form, register etccorrect use of language, grammar, form, register etc

ll students explicitly using language perhaps through a students explicitly using language perhaps through a drafting or editing process to achieve a purpose.drafting or editing process to achieve a purpose.


SUBSTANTIVE COMMUNICATION SUBSTANTIVE COMMUNICATION occurs when:occurs when:

ll students elaborate their understanding in a sustained students elaborate their understanding in a sustained way by providing necessary description, examples way by providing necessary description, examples and evidence to support their responses.and evidence to support their responses.

ll extended classroom discussion goes beyond teacher extended classroom discussion goes beyond teacher question, student answer, teacher restate (beyond question, student answer, teacher restate (beyond IREIRE).).

ll students build on each others’ answers to strengthen students build on each others’ answers to strengthen their responses.their responses.


QUALITY LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

§Explicit Quality Criteria

§Engagement

§High Expectations

§Student Direction

§Student self-regulation

§Social Support


EXPLICIT QUALITY CRITERIA refers to

l Detailed and specific statements about the quality of work required of students

l Be clear about what constitutes a high quality performance and communicate these criteria clearly

l When devising rubrics for assessment, consider whether the criteria refer to the quality of the work or merely give procedural or technical instructions.

l What do I expect the students to produce? and How well do I expect them to do it?


ENGAGEMENT

High engagement is identified by on-task behaviours that signal a serious investment

in class work.

For example: sustained interest and attentiveness, individual focus on work, showing enthusiasm for the work and taking the work seriously. Students take the initiative to raise questions, contribute to group tasks and help peers.


EXPECTATIONS are high when…….

l A task presents challenges to all students thorough the kind and level of material selected.

l High expectations are set when a task encourages and rewards students for taking risks in demonstrating their learning.

l The challenge of the task may be intellectual,

physical or performance based.


SOCIAL SUPPORT is evident in classrooms….

l Where teachers encourage all students to try hard and risk initial failure in a climate of mutual respect.

l Classrooms high in social support are characterised by teacher and student behaviours, comments and actions that encourage and value effort, participation, and the expression of one’s views in the pursuit of learning.


STUDENTS’ SELF-REGULATION………

l Is evident when the lesson proceeds without interruption and when students demonstrate autonomy and initiative in relation to their own behaviour in ways that allow the class to “get on” with learning.

l There is virtually no time spent disciplining students or regulating their movements.


STUDENT DIRECTION

A task with high student direction has students exercising control over one or more of the following aspects of the task:

q Choice of activities to be included in the task

q Time spent on the task

q Pace at which the task is completed

q Criteria by which they will be assessed


SIGNIFICANCE

§Background Knowledge

§Cultural Knowledge

§Integrated Knowledge

§Inclusivity

§Connectedness

§Narrative


High BACKGROUND KNOWLEDGE

l Is evident when lessons provide students with opportunities to make connections between their knowledge and experience and the substance of the lesson.

l Background knowledge may include prior school knowledge or it may include “out of school” knowledge, such as local knowledge, cultural knowledge, personal experience and knowledge of media and popular culture.


High CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE

l When there is an understanding, valuing and acceptance of the traditions, beliefs, skills, knowledge, languages, practices and protocols of diverse social groups.

l Cultural knowledge is high when the lesson recognises and values claims to knowledge from multiple social groups in an authentic, detailed and profound manner.


KNOWLEDGE INTEGRATION…………..

l Is identifiable when meaningful connections are made between different topics and / or between different subjects.

l For instance, when students address themes or problems which require knowledge from multiple topics or subject areas, knowledge integration will be high.


INCLUSIVITY

All students’ contributions are taken seriously and valued.


CONNECTEDNESS

l Learning has value and meaning beyond the classroom and school.

l For example, through addressing a public problem or actual experiences or situations that students will confront.

l Students interact with an audience beyond the classroom.


CONNECTEDNESS

Ask questions such as:

1. When would you need to know this?

2. Why are we studying this?

3. Who might be an appropriate audience for our work?


NARRRATIVE

l Use of narrative is high when the stories written, told, viewed or listened to illustrate or bring to life the knowledge that students are addressing in the classroom.

l They may include personal stories, biographies, historical accounts, case studies, literary and cultural texts and performances.


NARRRATIVE

l Lessons can employ narrative as content (reading or listening to stories) or process

(when students are writing or telling stories).


The coding process in a nutshell

q Intended to promote professional dialogue and shared understanding with a focus on refining practice.

q Not all elements will score highly in all lessons or tasks, but teachers should strive for high scores in the three dimensions (i.e should see some elements in all dimensions scoring high).

q Over a period of time (maybe a term) teaching practice should address all elements to a high level.


The coding process in a nutshell

q Keep a focus on the dimensions and not just on the discrete elements – don’t reduce a dimension to an element.

q For professional discussion, a difference of +/-1 is not significant.


Planning a lesson to maximise Intellectual Quality


Steps

l Decide upon a learning sequence that will enable students to learn the content and skills of the outcomes.

l Start with how you would need to break down the knowledge and skills in order to understand it.

l Your metacognitive sequence will work for many students.


Steps

l Consider how a variety of learning styles can be supported

l Provide visual and auditory stimuli when it comes to introducing new information.

l Give students the opportunity to see, listen, talk and share their understanding of new knowledge and skills.


Steps

l This is where teaching strategies and techniques come into play.

l It is important to know the benefits of using direct instruction, class discussion, group/pair work and individual work.


l Allows us to deliver foundation concepts in class in a structured way (DK)

l Introduce the outcomes (DK)

l Control the pace (DU)

l Model the language (ML)

l Model construction (ML, DU, SC, HOT)

DIRECT INSTRUCTION


l Share prior knowledge (DK, HOT)

l Participate in joint construction (DU,SC,ML,HOT)

l Make connections as active learners articulating meaning to others, or lack of understanding with peers (DU, SC, ML,HOT)

l Discussion of problematic knowledge (PK,HOT)

Small Group Work /Pairs


l Teacher can gauge depth of understanding, through listening, facilitating, questioning and reviewing (DU, PK, ML,SC,DK)

l Synthesis of ideas can occur as students articulate where they are up to in their understanding (HOT)

Group Discussion


Steps

l Knowing the value of a strategy is the first step in being able to use it in a strategic or diagnostic way to improve a student’s understanding and achievement.


Steps

l Complete a lesson plan

l What students say and do – is how you are gaining information about their understanding of the lesson’s outcomes.


Steps

l Now you are ready to finalise your decision making process and prepare for delivery by deciding on the lesson’s procedural cues.

l Collecting resources, checking equipment needs and classroom layout options to maximise a smooth transition between activities.


QUESTIONS……………………..


References

l Quality Teaching in NSW public schools: A classroom practice guide, 2006

l Quality Teaching in NSW public schools: An assessment practice guide, 2006

l http://www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/qualityteach/index.htm

l University of Newcastle, School of Education,

Professor Jenny Gore, Dr James Ladwig


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ESTABLISHING A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CULTURE …€¦ · ESTABLISHING A PROFESSIONAL LEARNING CULTURE IN YOUR SCHOOL ... Is the learning environment a ... they they share share their