Effective pedagogical practices

Effective
pedagogical
practices

Effective

pedagogical

practices

The school principal and other school leaders recognise that highly effective
teaching is the key to improving student learning throughout the school. They
take a strong leadership role, encouraging the use of research-based teaching
practices in all classrooms to ensure that every student is engaged, challenged
and learning successfully. All teachers understand and use effective teaching
methods – including explicit instruction – to maximise student learning.
The assessment of this domain includes
consideration of the extent to which:
§§ the school leadership team keeps abreast
of research on effective teaching practices;
§§ the school leadership team establishes
and communicates clear expectations
concerning the use of effective teaching
strategies throughout the school;
§§ school leaders, including the principal,
spend time working with teachers,
providing feedback on teaching and, where
appropriate, modelling effective teaching
strategies;
§§ school leaders actively promote a range
of evidence-based teaching strategies,
including;
−− creating classroom and applied learning
environments in which all students are
engaged, challenged, feel safe to take
risks and are supported to learn
−− connecting new material to past
learning and assisting students to see
the continuity in their learning over
time
−− demonstrating explicitly what students
are to do, discussing this with students,
and then questioning and checking that
learning is occurring
−− promoting deep learning by
emphasising underlying principles,
concepts and big ideas that are
developed over time
−− setting high expectations for every
student’s progress and ambitious targets
for improving classroom performances
−− working to build students’ beliefs
in their own capacities to learn
successfully and their understanding
of the relationship between effort and
success
−− providing regular and timely feedback
to students in forms that make clear
what actions individuals can take to
make further learning progress
−− routinely evaluating the effectiveness of
teaching and using these evaluations to
make adjustments to practice; and
§§ school leaders provide teachers with
ongoing detailed feedback on their
classroom practices.

Outstanding

The principal and other school leaders have accepted personal responsibility for driving improvements in teaching
throughout the school. They demonstrate a strong conviction that improved teaching is the key to improved student
learning and have clear and well-known positions on the kinds of teaching that they wish to see occurring.
All teachers and leaders are committed to identifying, understanding and implementing better teaching methods, and
a high priority is given to evidence-based teaching strategies (strategies that have been demonstrated through research
and practice to be highly effective).
School leaders spend time working with teachers to improve their teaching practices, including modelling, evaluating
and providing feedback on classroom teaching.

High

School leaders are committed to continuous improvement in teaching practices throughout the school and expect team
leaders and teachers to identify ways of doing this, although the principal and other senior leaders may not themselves
have clear positions on the kinds of teaching they wish to see occurring across the school or be ‘hands on’ in driving
improved teaching practices.
There is a particular focus on improved teaching methods in reading, writing, mathematics and science, and professional
learning activities are focused on building teachers’ understandings of highly effective teaching strategies in these areas.
Clarity about what students are expected to learn and be able to do, high expectations of every student’s learning, explicit
teaching of skills and content, individualised attention as required, and timely feedback to guide student action are key
elements of the school’s push for improved teaching and learning.
Medium
School leaders are explicit about their desire to see effective teaching occurring throughout the school, but are less clear
about what this might look like. They do not appear to be driving a strong agenda to improve and/or enhance teaching
practices across the school, except perhaps indirectly through a focus on school results and targets. School leaders take
a close interest in the school’s literacy and numeracy results, but generally do not engage in discussions with staff about
effective teaching strategies.
Discussions of specific teaching practices are rare and generally occur only in the context of concerns about a teacher’s
performance.
There is some clarity about what students are expected to learn, but a lack of balance in teaching methods (eg, overreliance
on whole-group teaching or very little explicit teaching).
Low
School leaders do not appear to have strong views on the characteristics of highly effective teaching. There is little
evidence that they are driving an agenda to change or enhance teaching practices across the school.
The principal and other school leaders spend very little time on issues related to teaching. Questions of pedagogy appear
to be viewed solely as the responsibility of teachers. There is little obvious school-wide discussion or consideration of
highly effective teaching methods.
There may be a lack of explicitness about what students are expected to know and be able to do as a result of classroom
activities, very little explicit teaching, limited attention to individual learning needs, or low expectations on the part
of teachers that all students in the room will master the content of lessons. Classroom activities frequently have the
appearance of ‘busy work’.