Evidence-based teaching strategies – how often are Australian teachers using them?
The Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) recently surveyed 855 teachers and school leaders across Australia about how often they used specific teaching strategies. Some of these strategies are evidence-based, while others are not — in fact some have been found to be ineffective for student learning.
The survey results present a mixed picture. Positively, many teachers reported they often use strategies that support explicit instruction, formative assessment and classroom management. However, teachers also reported that their use of individual strategies varies, which may limit the effectiveness of the practices in improving student learning. For example, nearly three-quarters of teachers report frequently adjusting their teaching based on assessments of students’ understanding, but fewer than half report frequently using exemplars or rubrics when providing student feedback. Of greater concern, up to 71% of teachers also reported using strategies linked to teaching practices not generally shown to be effective for student learning, in most or every lesson.
AERO also pose further questions for your consideration and reflection, such as:
For teachers
- How often do you and your colleagues use the evidence-based practices described above?
- Do you tend to use some strategies that support these evidence-based practices more than others?
For leaders
- How often and how well are these evidence-based practices used by teachers in your school? How do you know this?
- How does your school support the use of these evidence-based practices?
They also suggest related reading on learning styles.
Read more here: https://www.edresearch.edu.au/articles/evidence-based-teaching-strategies-how-often-are-australian-teachers-using-them
