10 Steps to High Quality Teaching and Learning in Schools

Course description

This course is a guide to improving teaching and learning in schools, based on current research.

It is an invaluable resource for teachers and managers who are responsible for individual departments or phases within a school. It can also be used by school leaders to improve student outcomes throughout the whole school.

By the end of the course, participants will understand what steps are required to improve teaching and learning in their school or department. They will be given direct, evidence-based advice about how to achieve this.

They will also be able to download practical resources, which can be used to help improve the quality of teaching and learning in their school or department.

At the end of every module, there is an opportunity to reflect upon what is learned using the online forum.

The course also contains links to high-quality source material which course participants can use to deepen their understanding of the issues that are raised.

Course Structure

1) Use assessment data to improve teaching and learning.

• Types of assessment.
• Data collection and analysis.
• Do’s and Don’ts of using assessment data.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what types of assessment data are used to inform decisions about teaching and learning.
• Learn how to use assessment data to improve teaching and learning.

2) Use lesson observations to create a culture of pedagogical reflection and self-improvement.

• Definitions and purposes of lesson observations.
• What to look for when observing a lesson.
• Do’s and Don’ts of formal lesson observations.
• Informal lesson observations: Learning walks and Drop-ins.
• Do’s and Don’ts of informal lesson observations.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what to look for when observing a lesson formally and informally.
• Learn how to use lesson observations to create a culture of pedagogical reflection and self-improvement.

3) Embed formative assessment and feedback into all teaching and learning.

• What is formative assessment?
• Types of formative assessment.
• Do’s and Don’ts of formative assessment.
• Marking.
• Feedback.
• Do’s and Don’ts of marking and giving feedback.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the impact of formative assessment and high-quality feedback on student performance.
• Learn how to use formative assessment and high-quality feedback to improve teaching and learning.

4) Ensure students become self-regulated learners.

• Before task reflection.
• What are self-regulated learners?
• What are meta-cognition and self-regulated learning?
• Meta-cognitive teaching strategies.
• During Task reflection.
• Self-assessment activities.
• Do’s and Don’ts of self-regulated learning.
• Post task reflection.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the impact of self-regulated learning on student outcomes.
• Learn how students can be taught to become self-regulated learners.

5) Ensure active and collaborative learning techniques are embedded into pedagogical practice.

• Active learning.
• Collaborative learning.
• Do’s and Don’ts of active and collaborative learning.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what active and collaborative learning means.
• Learn how to use active and collaborative learning strategies to improve student outcomes

6) Ensure students actively shape their education and lead their own learning.

• What is student voice?
• Student-centered learning.
• Examples of student-centered learning in the classroom
• Do’s and Don’ts of student-centered learning.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand why students must actively shape their education.
• Learn how students can actively shape their education and lead their own learning

7) Differentiate learning effectively to meet individual student needs.

• Setting and streaming students.
• Differentiation.
• Do’s and Don’ts of differentiation.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the effects of setting and streaming on student outcomes.
• Learn how to differentiate learning effectively to meet individual student needs.

8) Define High-quality Teaching and Learning.

• Pedagogical principles of high-quality teaching and learning.
• Definitions of high-quality teaching and learning.
• Do’s and Don’ts of defining high-quality teaching and learning.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the pedagogical principles of high-quality teaching and learning.
• Learn how to define high-quality teaching and learning.

9) Carry out a self-study to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning in your school or department.

• What is a self-study?
• A set of standards to evaluate teaching and learning.
• Do’s and Don’ts of carrying out a departmental or school self-study.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand what a school self-evaluation is.
• Learn how to carry out an effective school and/or departmental self-evaluation.

10) Write a school development plan and manage change effectively

• Understand how individuals respond to change.
• During task reflection.
• How do you successfully lead change?
• How do you write a school development plan?
• Do’s and Don’ts of managing change.

Learning Outcomes:

• Understand the barriers that individual responses to change can create.
• Learn how to write an effective school development plan and learn how to manage change successfully.