St Andrew’s College: Teaching as inquiry 2017 “Teachers play a critical role in enabling the educational achievement of all ākonga / learners” Education Council Practising Teacher Criteria overarching statements  

Learning intention: Success Criteria: By the end of this session, you will have clarity about the teaching as inquiry process that is supported by the PLG sessions throughout the year. Success Criteria: Understand that effective teaching involves exploring the relationship between what you do and what happens to the students Understand that any teaching inquiry asks the question: what’s going on for my learners? Revisit the seven principles of learning and discuss areas of strengths and next steps with a partner Beyond today’s session: Read the article ‘The Nature of Learning’ and complete a reflection in Appraisal Connector as evidence for PTC 4  

What? This year, you will complete one formal inquiry on your classroom practice that will explore an aspect of Visible Learning (developing the skill, will and thrill for students). PLGs are scheduled across 10 Friday mornings. At these meetings, you will discuss the progress you are making with your teaching inquiry with colleagues. You will record the inquiry process in Appraisal Connector using the key stages of the teaching as inquiry model as a structure (see page 2 of your booklet). At the end of the inquiry cycle, a ‘Teach Meet’ (a three-minute presentation for each person) where you will share your learning stories.

Why? Inquiry gives us an opportunity to interrogate the relationship between teaching actions and student learning: “Inquiry is the state of identifying student learning problems, hypothesising on causes, investigating and testing causal links, and acting on the findings to improve outcomes.  Next, and most importantly, it then involves checking that the changes made to teaching, or to the learning environment, are actually making a difference in the short-term.” Dr Linda Bendickson, Centre for Educational Leadership, The University of Auckland

Why? Inquiry is a key indicator of effective teaching: “Effective teachers inquire into the relationship between what they do (their style) and what happens for students (outcomes)…they do more than simply inquire (or reflect) – they take action (in relation to what they are doing in the classroom) to improve the outcomes for students and inquire into the value of these interventions.” Graeme Aitkin, The University of Auckland

How? The Spiral of inquiry Key difference with this spiral model (as opposed to the New Zealand Curriculum model) is the involvement of learners. Ask: From ‘Spiral of Inquiry’ paper Timperley, Kaser, Hilbert 2014

Fallibility Open-mindedness (being a learner) Deciding what is going on for learners is paramount. Seeking their voice to find out what is working and what is not is critical to the process of inquiry. The key to making the spiral of inquiry work is for everyone to approach the framework with a mind-set of curiosity and genuine inquiry into what is going on for learners, and then move on from there. Mind sets needed for inquiry: Open-mindedness (being a learner) Fallibility

Questions to ask (refer to page 3 of your booklet): 1. Scanning: Ask: What is going on for my learners and how do I know? 2. Focusing: Ask: Where will concentrating my energies make the most difference (or have the most impact) on my learners? 3. Developing a hunch: Ask: Given I am a change agent, how is my teaching contributing to the situation? 5. Learning: Ask: How and where will I learn more about what to do? 6. Taking action: Ask: Given that I am in a position to influence learning in my classroom, what strategies can I put in place to make a difference? 7. Checking and scanning: Ask: Have I made enough of a difference? What next? Note: phase three involves you making the changes to support your learners / learner.

Back to Basics: What research tells us The Seven Principles of Learning from the Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice OECD 2012 (pages 4 to 6 of your booklet) The phases of inquiry are strongly grounded in knowledge about learning

The Seven Principles of Learning continued (from the Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice OECD 2012)

To do later: Discuss with your partner (Principles are more detailed on pages 4 – 7) What principles are visible in your classroom? How do you know? What principles could you work to make more visible in your own practice? How could these be woven into an inquiry? To do later: Take a copy of ‘The Nature of Learning: Using Research to Inspire Practice’ (OECD 2012) Read this and complete a reflection on this reading in Appraisal Connector (evidence for PTC 4) Apply this learning to this year’s inquiry

Next week: Prior to week 8’s PLG: Select your three preferences for this year’s PLG using the link I will send you in an email today. Prior to week 8’s PLG: Consider the sources of information you can use in the scanning and focusing phase of the inquiry and bring these to your first PLG session:  Student surveys  Self reflections (Hattie’s Visible Learning handout from December and January this year)  Assessment data  Class profiles

The key here is that LEARNING IS ABOUT MAKING CHANGE

Exit pass: To what extent have the success criteria been met? I understand that effective teaching involves exploring the relationship between what you do and what happens to the students I understand that any teaching inquiry asks the question: what’s going on for my learners? I have revisited the seven principles of learning and discussed areas of strengths and next steps with a partner Beyond today’s session: I will read the article ‘The Nature of Learning’ and complete a reflection in Appraisal Connector as evidence for PTC 4