‘Quiet Think’ Questions: Agree or disagree? 1.The teacher is the most important person in the classroom 1.My job is to pass on all my knowledge to my students 2.I teach in the way that I was taught 3.Learning is a teacher-driven activity 4.As teacher, I am the main focus of attention 5.I know how all my students learn best 6.It’s more comfortable repeating lessons taught previously 7.‘Handing over’ to the students is common in my lessons 8. All of my students are stretched during lessons 9. I probably work harder in my lessons than my students!

2 Marhaba! Enquiry-based Learning Round-robin workshops 28 th August 2013 Colin Bibby

3 Volunteers needed, please… 3 per table: you have 15 seconds to agree only Those volunteering (or being ‘volunteered’!), please stand up…

4 Learning Objectives To:  consider a simple definition/explanation  look at our own roles within the classroom  identify a ‘spectrum’ of teaching  appreciate why enquiry-based learning is so successful Success Criteria By the end of this session we will have all be in a position to understand why moving along the ‘spectrum’ is beneficial for teaching & learning PHEW !...

5 Strategic Development Plan Six Domains of Learning for Departmental Focus: 1.Assessment for Learning 2.Challenging our students 3.Differentiation 4.Enquiry-based learning 5.Learning to learn / independent learning 6.Improved questioning techniques  Challenge (and risk taking) highlighted by this year’s KHDA report.  Others to be covered by other workshops today and by our In-House CPD workshop programme (details to follow). This is not new…

Resilient, independent learners who have flexible skills and competencies; who can work well in teams and lead themselves and others to perform up to and even beyond their potential.* WANTED…... after 16 years of education *CBI - Confederation of British Industry, Annual Report, 2009

‘Spoon-fed students can’t cope with degrees’ - Daily Telegraph The illiterate of the 21 st century are those that don’t know how to learn 50% of employers are worried about literacy and numeracy; 70% are worried about the lack of emotional intelligence Addicted to praise and wafer-thin confidence (Dweck) Headlines

Who does what in your lessons?.. Who… …chooses the topic? …selects the activities? …prepares the materials? …do the students speak to mostly? …and look at during class time?

Who does what in your lessons? Who… …chooses the seating arrangements? …picks group members? …operates the equipment?...gives the instructions …and explanations?

Who does what in your lessons? Who… …asks questions? …responds to questions? …and gives feedback? …writes on the board? …answers questions asked by the students?  Key Question to reflect upon : Could you do more to give your students (even) more teaching & learning responsibility?

“The traditional education system is obsolete” Bill Gates, 1996 (that’s nearly 20 years ago…) Times are changing fast… … and we must all be ready to change with them. “SHIFT HAPPENS 2013”

12 Enquiry-based Learning Quick pairs discussion task  a one sentence explanation/definition

Inquiry Levels  Enquiry-based learning… “Enquiry is something that students do. Not something that is done to them.” (Vos 2007)

Inquiry Levels Enquiry-based learning: one explanation Enquiry based learning puts more responsibility on the pupils for their own learning. It involves them in more decision-making processes; they learn by doing, rather than just by listening and studying theoretical things which are often not in context and therefore ‘unreal’ to them. As learning becomes more active it becomes more understandable and easier to retain. As learning is personalised and relevant to the students’ own lives and experiences, it comes ‘alive’. This is not new. Many of our teaching methods are already student-centred but, as the world around us continues to change, enquiry-based learning becomes more important than ever before. Rogers 2008

Is yours more a passive or active classroom? “This is not new…”

Teacher or Student-Centred teaching? Teacher-centred What’s the difference? Table discussion: list some of the key differences between teacher and student centred teaching Student-centred

Teacher or Student-Centred? Teacher-centredInstructing… “Sage on the stage” Didactic: teacher instructs Teacher talks, students listen ‘Safety, comfort zone’ teaching Teacher-only reviews Low level of student choice Students often passive Classroom is quiet Decisions with teacher Student-centred

Teacher or Student-Centred? Teacher-centred Student-centred Facilitating… “Guide on the side” Active, experiential learning Creative opportunities More risks success & failure occurs Peer and students self-review More curiosity, choice, challenge Student active Classroom has ‘busy hum’ Decisions involve the student

Where do you fit on this ‘spectrum’? Teacher-centredInstructing… “Sage on the stage” Didactic: teacher instructs Teacher talk, students listen ‘Safe, comfort zone’ teaching Teacher only reviews Low level of student choice Student passive Classroom is quiet Decisions with teacher Student-centred Facilitating… “Guide on the side” Active, experiential learning Creative opportunities More risks - success & failure occurs Peer & student self-review More curiosity, choice, challenge Student active Classroom has ‘busy hum’ Decisions involve the student How can you move (even) more to the right of this spectrum?

Back to Confucius…

Successful teachers of enquiry-based learning are those who become progressively more redundant (yes!)... …because the students are working harder than you and are relying less and less on you. And it’s all to your longer-term benefit!...

Why does this matter? Robust research by the 21 st Century Learning Initiative concludes that school leavers need to be: Flexible learners Team players Independent thinkers Confident individuals Creative and innovative And concludes that… Schools need to “provide learners both with a platform for employability in the 21 st century and with lifelong learning capabilities.” (

23 Thank you for participating... Any comments or questions, please?