Effective teaching practices: a key to efficiecy in education Beograd, 14. februar, 2009 Tinde Kovač-Cerović 1

Preliminary remarks 1. School School network Maintenance Where the action is National level Municipal level School level Curriculum, textbooks, teachers, evaluation Finances, management

How big an action? Salaries: 96% of the education budget Hours in school annually: Students’ time (in Serbia): 1 million students x 9 months x 24 days x 5 hours = hours Teachers’ time (in Serbia): x 9 months x 80 hours = hours How is all this time spent?

What kind of action? Place of human interaction: Teacher/student Student/student Teacher/teacher Teacher/parent Parent/parent Place of intimate social experience: –Learning –Deep understanding –Creativity –Respect –Values Place of development of the Self-concept: Self-regulation Self-efficacy Self-esteem Self-description/attribution All depend on the quality of IA in school 4

Preliminary remarks 2. Type of investment in human resources Known obstacles for education policymaking 1. Enormous system of human interactions (roles, negotiations, human nature, conflicting interests) 2. Lay theories of education based on personal experiences 3. Features of human development and learning are not immediately observable = an inert system (2-3 yrs reaction time) = postponed effects of new initiatives (12-15 yrs) = return of investment yrs (what on earth were we doing in the 1980’s? 1990’s? 2000’s?)

Attended... Listened... Heard... Understood... Remembered... Will apply... Preliminary remarks 3. Learning as a rare event

Due to “effective teaching practices” are not rethorics but an important component of efficiency in education. In order not to become rethorics research-based evidence is crutial. Due to both schools and teachers need guidance from empirical evidence

Overview 4 topics: how to ensure for learning to become more frequent? –Teaching strategies of learning and motivation motivacija –Assessment and feedback –Expectations –Teaching methods Reflected in education research 8

Research “effective teaching”, x 10 x 12 studies each year + meta-analyses (Johnson and Johnson, 1983, 2000) + meta-meta-analyses (Hattie, 2007, Earli, on 750+ meta-analyses, 50,000 studies, and 200+ million students)

Main factors Percentage of Achievement Variance Students Teachers Home Peers Schools Principal Source: Hattie: Developing Potentials for Learning, Earli, 2007

Influences on Achievement REVERSE Developmental Effects Typical Teacher Effects ZONE OF DESIRED EFFECTS Source: Hattie: Developing Potentials for Learning, Earli, 2007

John Hattie: Developing Potentials for Learning: Evidence, assessment, and progress, Stockholm, 2008; 12 th Biennial Conference, Earli, ning/JohnHattie%20konf08liten.pdf (slides 13-22)

Teaching or Working Conditions? (Hattie) Source: Hattie: Developing Potentials for Learning, Earli, 2007

Teaching of learning strategies

Effects of emphasis on learning strategies NSNE ES Creativity Programs Teaching student self-verbalization Meta-cognition strategies Problem solving teaching Study skills Concept mapping Motivation on learning ES 0.20 = 9 months ES 1.0 = 3 years Source: Hattie: Developing Potentials for Learning, Earli, 2007

Learning strategies – flip side Teachers? Parents? Peers? Private tutors?

Interpretation

Assessment

ES Self-report grades1.44 Structured f eedback.72 Providing formative evaluation to teachers.70 Frequent/ Effects of testing.46 Teaching test taking skills.22 ES 0.20 = 9 months ES 1.0 = 3 years Source: Hattie: Developing Potentials for Learning, Earli, 2007

Clarification Purpose of testing – to help teachers know: Whether their teaching methods have been successful or not Whether their learning intentions are worthwhile & challenging Where teachers can capitalize on student strengths & minimize gaps What is optimal to teach next... Purose of feedback – to help students know: Whether they are progressing Provide alternative strategies to understand material Increase effort, motivation or engagement How to arrive to deep understandings v Point to directions that could be pursued Superior effect of self-report grading

Assessment – flip side Objective? –Oral examination: not objective, not reliable, rare Relevant? –Includes irrelevant variables: verbal fluency, sensitivity for non-verbal signalisation... Informative? –For teachers? –For students?

Interpretation

Teacher/student interactions Research shows that quality of interaction matters, school can create barriers or support: Hierarchy of motives –Students’ memories Expectations of teachers function as self- fulfilling prophecies: –Capacity development (Rosenthal & Jacobson) –Motivation (Pelletier & Vallerand) Academic self-expectation best predictor of school success (Wigfield) Self’efficacy and internal locus of control the strongest predictors of school success after abilituies (Pajaros i Miller; Zimmerman i Bandura; Bandura) Self- actualization Esthetic needs Knowledge and understanding Respect Belonging Safety Physiological needs 23

Teacher/student interactions - flip side Lack of praise and awards Disregard Students struggle for getting motivated to accomplish non- challenging tasks Teachers’ expectations uninformed

Teaching methods

Johnson & Johnson, 1983; studies on the effects of cooperative learning

Effective teaching methods for different goals GoalIndCompCoop Knowledge of specific info Training specific skills Rehersal and practice Use of knowledge and transfer Understanding complex concepts Developing positive attitude for sch Developing a positive self-concept

Effective cooperative teaching methods MethodCoop v Comp MethodCoop v Ind LT.85LT1.04 AC.67AC.91 STAD.51GI.62 TGT.48TGT.58 GI.37TAI.33 Slag.29STAD.29 TAI.25CIRC.18 CIRC.18Slag.13 Source: Johnson &Johnson: Cooperative learning methods, 2000

Cooperative learning – flip side ? Wide offer Slim practice Emphasis on knowledge of specific information Loss of possibility to gain complex learning outcomes

Based on impressionsBased on evidence low quality high quality 30 Conclusion 1.: Which path?

inputprocessoutcomes Learning outcomes Social outcomes Structures Financing Management Concusion 2: Finding connections between input and process variables which maximize learning and social outcomes 31 Revisit all 3 Evidence- Based Teaching

Conclusion 3: Schools need a conducive and rich context …and strong connections Research Educa tion Developm ental priorities International instruments Education system solutions in other countries 32

Social benefits Personal benefits teachers efficient equitable accountable regulated participatory textbooks curriculum finan c i ng management assessment evaluation SCHOOL Research Development Policies

Thank you! 34