Catching up: Learning from the
best school systems in East Asia
21 November 2012
NEAT,
The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
Ben Jensen
Some challenges
1. Student learning is the start, middle and end point.
2. Less is more
3. Doing what matters is easy. Only doing what really
matters is very difficult
4. Teachers professional development is a waste of
time
5. Teaching is NOT a collaborative profession
P2
How are they high-performing?
P3
Number of months behind – PISA 2009
US
Read Math.
UK
Sci.
Read Math.
EU21*
Sci.
Read Math.
Australia
Sci.
Read Math.
Sci.
Shanghai
17
33
23
19
32
19
20
30
23
13
25
15
Hong
Kong
10
20
15
12
18
11
13
17
14
6
12
7
8
22
13
10
20
9
10
19
12
3
14
5
12
17
11
14
16
8
14
14
11
7
9
3
Singapore
Korea
< 1 year behind
1 to 2 years behind
> 2 years behind
Figures represent the difference in performance (expressed in the number of months of school education) between students in the USA, UK, EU,
and Australia and the four high-performing systems in East Asia. E.g. The average 15 y.o. student in the USA performs at a level that is 17 months
behind the average 15y.o. student in Shanghai in reading.
* Unweighted average
Source: PISA 2009 (OECD)
Change in reading – PISA 2000 - 2009
Korea
Hong Kong
OECD Average
Statistically
significantly
different
United States
Australia
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
The
The
Northern
Northern
Territory
Queensland
8
Territory
Queensland
2
Western
Australia
Western
Australia
16
South
Australia
South
Australia
31
New
South
New South
Wales
23
Wales
Victoria
3
Tasmania
31
The Australian
Capital Territory
21
P7
P8
Why are they high-performing?
P9
Student learning is at the centre of
everything
Curriculum
Student Learning
Assessment
Pedagogy
P 10
Improving learning and teaching in Hong Kong
• Broad learning experiences (project, enquiry-based
learning)
• Critical thinking, problem-solving and communication skills
• Diversified learning and teaching materials
• Formative assessment
• Integrated learning areas across the curriculum
• Developing learning skills rather than just knowledge
• Learning experiences in the broader community
compared to learning confined to the classroom.
Learning and teaching
• Improving learning and teaching is behavioural (and
sometimes cultural) change
• People will change behaviour when:
1.
2.
3.
4.
They have a clear purpose to believe in
Role models act visibly and consistently
They have the skills and capacity for the new behaviour
Reinforcement systems are consistent
• Strategy succeeds and fails with implementation
– Successful policy involves 20% design and 80%
implementation
Behavioural change
• Less is more
– Successful policy involves 20% design and 80%
implementation
• All must be pointing in the one direction
– Mixed or conflicting messages will kill you
Behavioural change
1. People will change behaviour when they have a clear
purpose
• Hong Kong’s education strategy Learning for Life, Learning
Through Life reads like an implementation plan
• Where learning is and where it should be
• A detailed picture of what was needed from policy to achieve
this change
• A clear and convincing rationale for reform
Behavioural change
2. Role models act visibly and consistently
• Strong links between leaders (at all levels) and schools
• Change must start with leaders
• Communication is vital
– Teachers and all stakeholders must want to own the
change process
Behavioural change
3. Capacity building
• All PD and professional learning must be aligned to the new
objectives
• Professional learning is much broader than PD
• Shanghai has the best professional learning in the world
Behavioural change
3. Re-enforcement mechanism
• Strong accountability at all levels
• Comprehensive school evaluation
• Comprehensive teacher appraisal and feedback
– All aligned to the new objecitves
Whole-system implementation
• View each element of the education system as an
implementation tool
– Curriculum
– Student assessment
– Teaching and learning resources
– School leadership
– Academic research
– Teacher professional development and in-school support
– Teachers’ teaching and working time
– School accountability (including ‘focused’ inspections)
– School autonomy
Connecting policy to the classroom
We say it
• Mentoring programs fail to
provide the constructive feedback
necessary for teacher
development and improved
learning.
• Teacher development is often not
suited to teachers’ needs
• Just under three-quarters of
teachers say that they would
receive no recognition if they
improved the quality of their
teaching or were more innovative
in their classroom teaching
They do it
• In Shanghai, all teachers have mentors
and new teachers have multiple
mentors. Observation and feedback is
constant.
• Teachers are researchers. In
Shanghai, the first step to advanced
teacher status is to have one of your
published papers peer reviewed.
• Teachers regularly observe each
other’s classes, providing instant
feedback to improve each student’s
learning.
• Comprehensive performance
management systems continually
improve teaching to improve learning.
Horizontal accountability is high.
Efforts are concentrated to continually improve learning and teaching
Key programs
•
•
•
•
•
•
Initial teacher education
School principal education
Induction and mentoring
Research and lesson groups
Classroom observation
Teacher career structures
These systems recognise that learning is complex and therefore teaching is
complex. These programs are designed and continually evaluated to have the
greatest impact on teaching and improving student learning.
Programs
P 21
Initial teacher education at NIE
Learner-centred
values
– Empathy
– Belief that all children
can learn
– Commitment to
nurturing the potential
in each child
– Valuing of diversity
Teacher identity
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Aims for high standards
Enquiring nature
Quest for learning
Strive to improve
Passion
Adaptive and resilient
Ethical
Professionalism
Skills
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Reflective skills thinking dispositions
Pedagogical skills
People management skills
Self management skills
Administrative and management skills
Communication skills
Facilitative skills
Technological skills
Innovation and entrepreneurship skills
Social and emotional intelligence
Service to the profession
& community
– Collaborative learning and
practice
– Building apprenticeship
and mentorship
– Social responsibility and
engagement
– Stewardship
Knowledge
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Self
Pupil
Community
Subject content
Pedagogy
Educational foundation and policies
Curriculum
Multicultural literacy
Global awareness
Environmental awareness
Initial teacher education in Singapore
Ministry
of Education
Partnerships
National Institute
of Education
Schools
Induction and mentoring in Shanghai
• All teachers have mentors
• Beginning teachers have two mentors
• Mentoring focuses on learning in the classroom
– Not administrative and emotional support
• Feedback
based on classroom observation is very frequent
– e.g. middle-level teachers observe lessons once per week
• Mentoring is an explicit component of teachers’ job
description
• Effective teachers are promoted into more classrooms with
additional mentoring roles
Research and lesson groups in Shanghai
• All teachers participate on at least two formal professional learning
communities
• Frequent meetings – in some schools for 1-2 hours per week
• Teaching is a research-oriented profession.
• Peer-reviewed publications are a requirement for promotion
• Lesson groups focus on the learning of all students
– Classroom observation
– Ensuring each individual student is progressing
Research groups
“From what I have seen in western countries, teachers
work in the classroom with students coming and going.
In Shanghai, teachers’ main place of work is their office.
The emphasis is on their professional learning and
research.”
School Principal, Shanghai Experimental School
P 26
Career track in Singapore
Director – General of
Education
Director
Deputy Director
Chief Specialist
Principal Specialist
Cluster Superintendent
Principal Master Teacher
Principal
Lead Specialist
Master Teacher
Vice Principal
Senior Specialist 2
Lead Teacher
Head of Department
Senior Specialist 1
Senior Teacher
Subject / Level Head
Classroom teacher
Teaching
Track
Leadership
Track
Senior
Specialist
Track
Active professional collaboration
• OECD distinguishes between
1. Exchange and coordination
- Exchange and coordination of teaching material,
discussion individual students’ development, attendance
at team conferences, ensuring common standards
2. (Active) Professional collaboration
- Team teaching, peer observation and feedback,
coordinating activities across classes, effective group
professional learning
The average teacher’s week
Shanghai
Australia
USA
10-12 hours
20 hours
30 hours
As a result, teachers in Shanghai spend
many non-teaching hours each week in:
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
classroom observation
team teaching
school-based research
giving feedback
identifying learning needs
modeling good practice
active collaboration
Teachers in
Australia have
50% less
non-teaching
time than
a proven
Shanghai
impact on teachers to do
learning
the things that
matter (a)
American
teachers have
only 12
minutes
between each
class (a)
Catching up: Learning from the
best school systems in East Asia
21 November 2012
NEAT,
The Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania
Ben Jensen