How can we improve teaching and learning in schools?

Britain's biggest-ever programme of education research has found at least some of the answers, and is sharing them with every school in Britain.

Principles into Practice, a new publication from the Teaching and Learning Research Programme, will be sent out to all schools over the next few days. It sets out the 10 principles for effective teaching and learning which the TLRP has drawn up on the basis of over 20 research projects looking at all levels of school education.

Professor Andrew Pollard, director of the TLRP, said: “Effective teaching and learning enables children to perform well at school. It also shows them how to be effective learners throughout life. Our research projects have looked at consulting pupils to improve motivation, using assessment to support “Learning How to Learn,” managing classroom groups to produce collaborative skills, structuring the curriculum to achieve intellectual challenge, using new technologies to expand understanding, and making use of knowledge from beyond school in more constructive way. Principles into Practice explains how these methods work and gives case studies of their successful use.

“If we want confident learners for the future we have to rethink teaching, learning and assessment”

As well as research reports and case studies, Principles into Practice includes a DVD of classroom activities and interviews illustrating the research, and a staffroom poster of the ten principles for effective teaching and learning which TLRP has developed.

http://www.esrc.ac.uk/