WhyWhy
develop
thinking
skills and
is the
development
assessment
for learning
in the
programme
important?
classroom?
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Learning and Teaching
“It is possible to store the mind with a million facts and
still be uneducated”
Why develop thinking skills and
Our goal is to produce learners who are:
assessment
for learning in the
• motivated and effective
classroom?
• increasingly
independent
• able to make use of new technologies
• able to learn and apply new skills
effectively through their lives.
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
It’s not what pupils learn, but how
they learn it that matters.
How they learn depends on their
cognitive processing capability, and
intervention in the process by which
this capability develops is the route to
fundamental improved life chances
in the population of learners.
Why develop thinking skills and
assessment for learning in the
classroom?
Adey and Shayer,
Really Raising Standards
1994
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Developing thinking
Developing thinking can be defined as developing
patterns of thinking that help learners acquire deeper
understanding and enable them to explore and make
sense of their world. It refers to processes that we in
Wales have defined as plan, develop and reflect.
Although we are born with a capability to think there
is ample evidence that we can learn to think more
effectively.
Why develop thinking skills and
assessment for learning in the
classroom?
Developing thinking pedagogy has considerable overlap
with the principles of assessment for learning.
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
How was developing thinking
approached?
Teaching of
thinking
Teaching through
thinking
Cross curricular
infusion
Why develop thinking skills and
assessment Uses
formethods
learning
inRestructuring
the
Direct teaching of
to
lessons in subjects
‘thinking skills’
promote thinking in
to provide opportunities
Outside subject areas classroom?
subject contexts
to develop thinking
(stand-alone)
(stand-alone)
e.g. Philosophy for
Children,
Somerset thinking skills,
Let’s think!
e.g. CASE, CAME,
Thinking though
Geography/History,
Let’s think through
Science/Maths
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
e.g. ACTS, Thinking
for Learning
(Cardiff LEA)
Assessment for learning
Assessment for learning is the process of finding
out where learners are within a learning
continuum, where they need to go and how best
to get there.
Why develop thinking skills and
assessment for learning in the
It can be considered
to be any assessment for
classroom?
which the first priority in its design and practice is
to serve the purpose of promoting learning
(formative).
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Why develop assessment for learning?
“There is no evidence that increasing the amount of
testing will enhance learning. Instead the focus
needs to be on helping teachers use assessment as
part of teaching and learning, in ways that will raise
children’s achievement.”
Assessment Reform Group, 1999
A wide variety of research in this area has clearly shown
the gains to be made by learners in both motivation and
performance from employing assessment for learning
strategies (formative assessment). The critical element lies
in learners understanding why and how to make progress.
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Evidence?
Type of Feedback
Learning gain made Motivational outcomes
Marks only
None
High ability
Low ability
Positive
Negative
Comments only
30%
All learners
Positive
Marks and comments
None
High ability
Low ability
Positive
Negative
Data from ‘Inside the black box’, Black and William (1998)
Data drawn from Israel on 132 learners from 12 classes in 4 schools
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Evidence?
• Improvement in attainment on average by half a
level at end of KS2 and KS3 and half a grade at
GCSE
• Effective feedback is crucial in a learner’s
development to allow him/her to improve own
performance other than judgement against normreferenced criteria: in a variety of research studies,
effective feedback improved performance in 60% of
the learners
• Feedback given as rewards and grades enhances
ego rather than task involvement – ‘learned
helplessness’ can result from damaging
self-esteem.
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Why focus on developing thinking and
assessment for learning?
There is well-documented and substantial qualitative and
quantitative evidence to show that this focus raises learners’
motivation and performance.
Why develop thinking skills and
The pedagogy promoted
in both
areas, and thein
characteristics
assessment
for
learning
the
of learning behaviours in lessons are very similar and mutually
support one another.
classroom?
Between 2005 and 2008, DCELLS conducted a pilot
programme with 9 LAs and 1 group of special schools. This
involved 42 schools and over 100 teachers. An evaluation of
the programme and its outcomes supported these findings.
The full evaluation report is available to download from the
WAG website
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
What were the outcomes of the pilot
programme?
In just 5 terms, teachers reported:
• improved quality of work produced by learners
(increased achievement and attainment)
• improvements in learner behaviour
• increased engagement and motivation with
learning
• increase in frequency of creative lessons
• improved learner self-confidence and self-esteem
• increase in inclusivity
• improved speaking and listening skills
• shift in pedagogy to facilitating learning rather than
directing
• happier learners and teachers!
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
What does the extension
programme involve?
•
3
year
programme,
reviewed
annually
Why develop thinking skills and
• DCELLS working in partnership with
assessment
for learning in the
LAs across Wales
• 50 teachers
coached in developing
classroom?
thinking and assessment for learning
pedagogy per LA per year
• programme continuously monitored and
evaluated by LAs and DCELLS.
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
What will lead teachers be
expected to do?
•
choose
and
trial
3
principles
from
developing
Why thinking,
develop
thinking
skills
and
assessment for learning or both
assessment
for learning
ininthe
• share and disseminate
outcomes
school
and within clusters
classroom?
• monitor and evaluate processes and
outcomes
• meet with DCELLS through mentoring
sessions
• meet and work with lead LA adviser through
coaching sessions.
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Selected developing thinking
principles to try:
Plan
Develop
Reflect
Thinking principle
Activating prior
Thinking
about
Evaluate
own learning
Why
develop
thinking
skills
andand
knowledge, skills and
cause and effect thinking
understanding
makinglearning in the
assessmentand
for
inferences
Determining the
Forming opinions Reviewing the
classroom?
process/method/
and making
process/method
strategy
decisions
Determining success
criteria
Thinking logically
and seeking
patterns
Reviewing outcomes and
success criteria
Considering
evidence,
information and
ideas
Linking and lateral thinking
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Selected assessment for learning
principles to try:
Questioning
Providing
feedback to
learners
Peer and SelfAssessment
Why develop thinking skills and
assessment
for
learning
Assessment
for learning
principlesin the
Improving quality of
Target Setting
On-going lesson
classroom?
answers
assessment
Peer discussion
Immediacy of
feedback
Active involvement of all
learners
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
Uses of summative
assessment
What support is available?
• Coaching visits by lead LA advisers to
lead teachers
Why
develop
thinking
skills
and
• Mentoring school visits by DCELLS
assessment
for learning in the
officers
• Networking
through cluster meetings
classroom?
• Virtual support through NGfL Cymru forum
• Practical classroom support and ideas for
strategies and tools through DCELLS.
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
What resources are available?
Two web-based booklets:
Why
develop
thinking
skills
and
Why develop thinking and assessment for
assessment
for learning in the
learning in the classroom?
classroom?
How to develop thinking and assessment for
learning in the classroom.
Web-link:
http://wales.gov.uk/topics/educationandskills/curriculumas
sessment/thinkingandassessmentforlearning/?lang=en
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
What resources are available?
In the Aiming for excellence series,
Why
develop
thinking
skills
and
Developing
thinking,
BBC, Estyn,
WAG,
2006
assessment
for learning in the
classroom?
NGfL Cymru
‘good practice’ website and
forum (available Autumn 2009)
ACCAC
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009
What are the key roles of SMT?
• give the programme and the action research of
the lead teachers a high status within the school
community
• personally experiment with pedagogy and
suggested strategies/tools to promote developing
thinking and AfL principles
• share and disseminate outcomes
• develop lead teachers as coaches for colleagues
in order to spread practice across the school
• work closely with colleagues in partner schools
(and ITET ) to ensure coherence and consistency
in understanding and practice.
SMT pack 2009
SMT pack 2009