Quality teaching and the implications for

teaching and learning----------------------

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Based on the Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis

Adrienne Alton-Lee(2003) Ministry of Education

Who will find this workshop useful?

• primary and secondary school teachers• school management teams• boards of trustees• AtoL facilitators

How can we best use this workshop?

• To update, review, and/or reflect on assessment practice.• As a focus for professional development in assessment.• To support in-depth programmes in schools.

Primary and international teachers may also find Clarke (2001), Unlocking Formative Assessment useful.

Secondary teachers may also find Clarke (2005), Formative Assessment in the Secondary Classroom useful.

• National Exemplars Online http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/index_e.php

• National Exemplars Health and Physical Education CD-ROM• National Exemplars Arts CD-ROM

To use this workshop you will need access to the following resources:

I recently released the ‘Best Evidence Synthesis’

research reports which showed that the quality of

teaching is the most important school-based

determinant of student outcomes.

Quality teaching can result in significant gains

in achievement for all students, regardless of

their background.

Trevor Mallard, 2003

Best Evidence Synthesis (BES)

What is the ‘Best Evidence Synthesis’ research?

• A series of reports commissioned by the Ministry of Education.

• The aim of the research was to strengthen the evidence base that informs education policy and practice in New Zealand.

Questions for discussion

• What is quality teaching as described by the ‘Best Evidence Synthesis’ research?

• How do the New Zealand Curriculum exemplars show the characteristics of quality teaching?

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/index_e.php

• How could these characteristics be shown in our teaching?

• How will these impact on a range of students?

The 10 characteristics of quality teaching

1. Quality teaching is focused on student achievement (including social outcomes) and facilitates high standards of student outcomes for heterogeneous groups of students.

2. Pedagogical practices enable classes and other learning groupings to work as caring, inclusive, and cohesive learning communities.

3. Effective links are created between school and other cultural contexts in which students are socialised, to facilitate learning.

4. Quality teaching is responsive to student learning processes.

5. Opportunity to learn is effective and sufficient.

The 10 characteristics of quality teaching, cont.

6. Multiple task contexts support learning cycles.

7. Curriculum goals, resources including ICT usage, task design, teaching, and school practices are effectively aligned.

8. Pedagogy scaffolds and provides appropriate feedback on students' task engagement.

9. Pedagogy promotes learning orientations, student self-regulation, metacognitive strategies, and thoughtful student discourse.

10. Teachers and students engage constructively in goal-oriented assessment.

(See handout: Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis: Executive summary)

Why focus on quality teaching?

Quality teaching has been identified through research as the keyinfluence on high quality outcomes for diverse students.

• 59% or more of variance in student performance has been shown to be because of the teacher.

• 21% or less of variance in student performance has been linked to school level variables.

Online exemplars can illustrate classroom teachers demonstrating the characteristics of quality teaching.

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/index_e.php

Exemplars and characteristics of quality teaching

(The characteristics in the following slides are available in the handout Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis: Executive summary)

Characteristic 1: …focus on student achievement … and high standards of student outcomes….

Exemplar: Lindis, clip 8(The Arts, Performing Dance, Progress indicator for the strand ‘Communicating and interpreting’)

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/arts/dance/da_5a_e.php

Jane reflects on and describes a significant learning experience that helped her to understand more about the intentions and narrative of Lindis and to be more aware of the qualities to be communicated to the audience.

How does this exemplar:• promote critical thinking and self-regulation?• scaffold alternating tuakana teina (older person/younger person)

roles in the student group?

Characteristic 3: Effective links … between school and other cultural contexts …

Exemplar: Building a Positive School Community

(Health and PE: Level 3, Healthy Communities and Environments, People and the Environment and Community Resources)

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/hpe/hpe_3e_e.php

Exemplar: Senior Sasa(The Arts: Level 4, Dance) http://tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/arts/dance/da_4b_e.php

• Cultural practices taught in a social context• Recognises and builds on students’ prior experience and knowledge In this this exemplar: • How the relevance of cultural practice made transparent to students?• How is new information and learning linked to student experiences?• How are students used as resources?

Characteristic 4: … is responsive to student learning processes

Exemplar: Parehaka(The Arts: Level 5 Drama: Using dramatic structure)http://tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/arts/drama/dr_5a_e.php

• Teacher helps students to explore a theme in order to establish a context for their improvisation.

• Through questioning, the teacher extends the students' learning experiences and their reflection to discuss how drama has enriched and deepened their understanding of an historical incident.

In this exemplar:• How do the students negotiate ideas and discuss which dramatic

structures? • How will they symbolically represent their ideas?• How does the teacher help with the analysis and synthesis of the

drama?

Characteristic 8: …appropriate feedback on students' task engagement.

Exemplar: Crisis and change (Teacher-student conversations Clip 3)(PE and Health, Level 3 & 4: Personal Health and Physical Development, Relationships with Other People) http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/hpe/hpe_3d_e.php

The students can identify factors that affect people's personal, physical, social, and emotional well-being during times of change or loss and have developed skills to manage these events.

This places them at Level 3 of the progression for personal growth and development. They are able to identify the effects of change and loss on relationships and describe appropriate responses, placing them at Level 4 of the progression for relationships.

more…

Characteristic 8: …appropriate feedback on students' task engagement, cont

Exemplar: Crisis and change (Teacher-student conversations Clip 3)(PE and Health, Level 3 & 4: Personal Health and Physical Development,Relationships with Other People)

http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/hpe/hpe_3d_e.php

• Determine how much or your teaching provides time to give effective feedback.

• Do teachers in your school know what effective feedback is?• Do the demands of the timetable, the curriculum and gathering of data

allow time for effective feedback and feed forward?

Characteristic 9: Pedagogy promotes learning orientations, student self-regulation, metacognitive strategies, and thoughtful student discourse.

Exemplar: Performing and Evaluating an Instrumentation(Clip 6, Analysing and Appreciating)(The Arts: Level 5 Music)http://www.tki.org.nz/r/assessment/exemplars/arts/music/mu_5b_e.php

This exemplar:• evaluates a recorded class performance, using appropriate vocabulary• shows quality teaching that promotes learning orientations and student

self-regulation, sustained thoughtfulness and critical thinking• Shows the teacher beginning the reflection in and on their action by

asking: What could we improve? What went really well?

Characteristic 10: Teachers and students engaging constructively in goal oriented assessment.

Exemplar: Rescue Me, Clip 3(Health and PE: Level 4)http://www.tki.org.nz/r/health/curriculum/statement/page20_e.php

Level 4: Achievement aim – Positive Attitudes and Challenge

Students will demonstrate willingness to accept challenges, learn new skills, and extend their abilities in movement-related activities (4B2).

Level 4: Achievement aim – Science and TechnologyStudents will experience and demonstrate how science, technology, and the environment influence the selection and use of equipment in a variety of settings (4B3).

Underlying concept: Hauora - developing their confidence through improving their taha tinana (physical side) in terms of aquatic skills and safety.

How does this impact on the students’ overall hauora (health) as each dimension supports and influences the others?

What are you doing in your school to promote quality teaching?

• How does the school leadership support and resource coherent programmes?

• Look at the ‘Improved learning through formative assessment practices’ handout.

• How much of this is practised by you or teachers at your school?

• How much support do teachers have to develop a comprehensive assessment literacy?

Alton-Lee, Adrienne (2003). Quality Teaching for Diverse Students in Schooling: Best Evidence Synthesis. Wellington: Ministry of Education. Available electronically: http://www.minedu.govt.nz/web/downloadable/dl8646_v1/quality-teaching-for-diverse-students-in-schooling.doc

Clarke, Shirley. (2005). Formative assessment in the secondary classroom. London. Hodder & Stoughton.

Clarke, Shirley. (2001). Unlocking formative assessment: Practical strategies for enhancing pupils’ learning in the primary classroom. London. Hodder & Stoughton.

References