Learning How to Learn – in classrooms, schools and

networks

Sue Swaffield

University of Cambridge

Supporting schools developing AfL

AAIA Conference

14 September 2005

Stratford-upon-Avon

Outline

• Overview of project

• Conditions that support classroom practice

• Approaches to embedding

• Critical friendship

Overview of project

Black and Wiliam 1998 review

(Inside the black box)

KMOFAP

Learning How To Learn

The Learning How to Learn Project

• 4 year Development & Research project • 40 primary and secondary schools in 5 LEAs

and one VEAZ (1500 teachers & 6000 students)• Investigating the CONDITIONS in classrooms,

schools and networks that support development, spread and sustainability of AFL practice

• Limited intervention at school level (inset, data feedback and ‘light touch’ critical friendship)

• Research through qualitative and quantitative data, at classroom, network and school levels

Teacher and school conditions that support classroom practice

drawing on staff questionnaire

The Staff Questionnaire

• A quantitative measure of values and reported practices, and change over time

• 3 sections:– A. Classroom assessment practices– B. Teachers’ professional learning– C. School management systems

Scale XThis school now

About you

Teachers’ Assessment Practices

Scale YHow important are these assessment practices for

creating opportunities for students to learn?

Never true

Rarely true

Often true

Mostly true

Not important

Limited importance

Important Crucial Bad practice

I provide guidance to help my students assess their own work

Classroom assessment practice factors

• A1: Making learning explicit

• A2: Promoting learning autonomy

• A3: Performance orientation

A1: Making learning explicit

• eliciting, clarifying and responding to evidence of learning;

• working with students to develop a learning orientation

A2: Promoting learning autonomy

• widening the scope for students to take on greater independence over their learning objectives and the assessment of their own and each others’ work

A3: Performance orientation

• a concern to help students comply with performance goals prescribed by the curriculum through closed questioning and measured by marks and grades

Teachers classroom practices - 2002

2002

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

makinglearning explicit

promotinglearning

autonomy

performanceorientation

mea

n re

scal

ed fa

ctor

sco

re

practice

values

Changes in teachers’ classroom practices, 2002-2004

2002

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

makinglearning explicit

promotinglearning

autonomy

performanceorientation

mea

n re

scal

ed fa

ctor

sco

re

practice

values

2004

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

makinglearningexplicit

promotinglearning

autonomy

performanceorientation

mea

n re

scal

ed

fact

or s

core practice

values

2002-2004

-8

-6

-4

-2

0

2

4

6

practice values

resc

ale

d m

ea

n c

ha

ng

e s

core

Makinglearningexplicit

Promotinglearningautonomy

Performanceorientation

Mean changes in teachers’ assessment values and practices

Teachers’ professional learning factors

• B1: Inquiry

• B2: Building social capital

• B3: Critical and responsive learning

B1: Inquiry

• using and responding to different sources of evidence

• carrying out joint research and evaluation with colleagues

B2: Building social capital

• learning, working, supporting and talking with one another

B3: Critical and responsive learning

• through reflection, self-evaluation, experimentation and responding to feedback

School leadership and management factors

• C1: Deciding and acting together

• C2: Developing a sense of where we are going

• C3: Supporting professional development

• C4: Auditing expertise and supporting networking

C1: Deciding and acting together

• Involving staff in decision making and using their professional know-how in the formulation and critical evaluation of school policy

C2: Developing a sense of where we are going

• Clear communication by SLT of a clear vision, and the fostering of staff commitment to the whole school, based on good working knowledge among staff of school development priorities which they view as relevant and useful for learning and teaching

C3: Supporting professional development

• Providing formal and informal training opportunities

C4: Auditing expertise and supporting networking

• Information is collected on practices that staff themselves think they do effectively, and on informal teacher networking in which they play an active role.

• Teachers are supported in sharing practice with other schools through networking.

School conditions that support learning how to learn in classrooms

Making learning explicit

Promoting learning autonomy

Developing a sense of where we are going

Supporting professional development

Auditing expertise and supporting networking

Inquiry & Critical and responsive

learning(Teachers’ classroom

based learning)

Discussion 1Supporting classroom practice

• How could the classroom level factors be used to deepen the dialogue about AfL?

• How can teachers be helped to promote students’ learning autonomy?

• How can teachers be supported in classroom based collaborative learning?

• What can I do?

Embedding Practice

drawing on interviews with school co-ordinators and headteachers

Embedding

Becoming integral to the

structure and culture

of the school

The process of embedding …

• Seen as a sequential process?

• Implies building consensus?

• Seeks homogeneity of practice?

Some issues

• The existing situation

• Conceptions of leadership

• The model of change

Approaches to embedding

Structural

Cultural

Professional collaborative

activity

Management mechanisms

External influences

Cultural leadership

APPROACHES TO

EMBEDDING

Mandate

Change thinking?

Change practice

Mandate

Change thinking?

Change practice

Encourage individuals

Spread ideas and practice

Tipping point?

Discussion 2Embedding practice

• How could the idea of seeing the embedding of practice structurally and culturally be used?

• How can school leaders be supported in embedding practice both structurally and culturally ?

• What can I do?

Critical Friendship

drawing on interviews with critical friends and school co-ordinators

Role of the Critical Friend

• Liaison among the project partners; advocate for the project

• Initial inset• Feedback of data from first staff

questionnaire• Critical friendship for development work -

critiquing plans, asking questions, linking to other resources and research

• ‘Light touch’

‘Light touch’ critical friendship: an oxymoron too many?

• Trust• Understanding• Critical engagement• Whose critical friend?• Expectations• Roles and responsibilities• Dependency avoidance• Relationships with researchers

and LEA advisers

Discussion 3:Critical friendship

• How can ‘light touch’ critical friendships best be established and maintained?

• What are the particular issues about critical friend type relationships that need to be addressed?

• What can I do?

www.learntolearn.ac.uk

James, M. et al. (2006) Learning How to Learn: tools for schools (A4 practitioner book of inset materials in the TLRP Improving Practice Series, linked to website), London, Routledge.

James, M et al. (2006) Improving Learning How to Learn in classrooms, schools and networks (TLRP Improving Learning Series (Gateway) Book), London, Routledge.

Journal Special Issue: Research Papers in Education (2006)

Discussion 1Supporting classroom practice

• How could the classroom level factors be used to deepen the dialogue about AfL?

• How can teachers be helped to promote students’ learning autonomy?

• How can teachers be supported in classroom based collaborative learning?

• What can I do?

Discussion 2Embedding practice

• How could the idea of seeing the embedding of practice structurally and culturally be used?

• How can school leaders be supported in embedding practice both structurally and culturally ?

• What can I do?

Discussion 3:Critical friendship

• How can ‘light touch’ critical friendships best be established and maintained?

• What are the particular issues about critical friend type relationships that need to be addressed?

• What can I do?