Teacher actions promoting student learning

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While there is no formula that will guarantee learning for every student in every context, there is extensive, well-documented evidence about the kinds of teaching approaches that consistently have a positive impact on students’ learning. This evidence tells us that students learn best when teachers:

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• Create a supportive learning environment

• Encourage reflective thought and action

• Enhance the relevance of new learning

• Facilitate shared learning

• Make connections to prior learning and experience

• Provide sufficient opportunities to learn and inquire in a positive teaching-learning relationship.

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What should this look like in our classrooms?

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Students are likely to:

• Take an active role in decisions about the content, process and assessment of learning

• Take an active role in learning

• Wait less and learn more

• Be interested in their learning

• Feel empowered to make suggestions

• Ask questions of themselves, the teacher and others

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The teacher is likely to:

• Notice, recognise and respond to learners - which may necessitate adapting plans in the teaching moment

• Give quality feedback and feed-forward that relate to the learning areas as well as the thinking behaviours

• Alter and adapt plans in response to learners

• Revisit learning plans with students

• Show themselves as learners and to model thinking behaviours

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Content, topic or foci are likely to:

• Be (or become) interesting to students 

• Draw on authentic contexts - related to things that are happening in the local and global community 

• Relate to students' existing knowledge and experience 

• Broaden students' competencies

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Resources are likely to:

• Come from a range of sources - local, national and global

• Draw on diverse perspectives  

• Include a range of media 

• Be sourced not only by teachers, but also by students, parents, community members and others

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Activities are likely to: 

• Take students into real, authentic contexts  

• Be flexible and adaptable 

• Be dynamic - activities that lead to and generate other unforeseen activities 

• Be for other individuals and groups  

• Be purposeful and worthwhile 

• Be aligned to important outcomes

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The classroom culture is likely to: 

• Develop creative, critical or reflective thinking  

• Focus on learning  

• Embrace flexibility 

• Feel like a place where students are confident to have a say  

• Encourage questions, contributions, suggestions, learning from mistakes and successes