This post, the fourth and penultimate in the Teaching Strategies series, will delve into the nuanced world of teaching strategies, guided by what research reveals and its limitations. I aim to provide a nuanced view that respects the complexity of educational research while offering clear, actionable advice to current and future educators.
Educational research has long been a battleground of competing ideologies and methodologies (see the previous posts on Teaching Strategies here: TS1 and TS2). At its best, it offers us evidence-based strategies that can significantly enhance learning outcomes. For instance, John Hattie’s viral and seminal work, Visible Learning, synthesises over 800 meta-analyses and concludes that assessment, feedback, and teacher-student relationships are among the most impactful factors in student achievement. Hattie’s work suggests that teachers can see substantial gains in student performance when they use evidence-backed methods. There is, however, another side to this, which I wrote about here. While Hattie is popular and his research important, the ways it has been interpreted in the classroom are reminiscent of the popularity and misuse of Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences.
Amidst the data lies a stark reminder: not all teaching strategies are created equal, nor do they apply uniformly across different contexts. The allure of silver bullet solutions often overshadows the gritty reality that education is deeply personal and influenced by an array of societal, psychological, and economic factors. This refined insight is as unconducive to the clickbait we all yearn for as it is obvious to every classroom teacher who is forced to sit through yet another PD on collecting data and appraising their impact.
This nuanced perspective reminds us to question the scalability and relatability of these findings. Can strategies effective in a controlled study translate to the chaotic, underfunded public school systems they are expected to work in?
The Digital Dilemma
The conversation around educational technology vividly illustrates the gap between research promise and practical application. Adaptive learning platforms powered by AI promise personalised education at scale. Why not? AI is expected to optimise everything else, so why not educate? Research by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation highlights the potential of these technologies to tailor learning experiences to individual student needs, potentially revolutionising education. How often have we heard about the promise of technology to revolutionise education? First, it was the internet, then individual laptops and interactive whiteboards; need I go on?
Yet, here lies a cautionary note about the unchecked optimism in tech solutions. Expecting technology to fix or even improve education problems is akin to expecting a diet pill to fix decades of unhealthy habits. The effectiveness of such tech platforms is contingent on numerous factors, including the quality of the content, the algorithm’s ability to adapt to diverse learning, and the socio-economic barriers to accessing technology, not to mention teachers’ willingness and ability to use the technology. As we’ve observed in the digital divide exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, technology can as easily widen gaps in education as bridge them.
The Human Element
The research converges on one critical point: the irreplaceable value of the human element in education. Another meta-analysis found findings like Hattie’s: teacher-student relationships significantly impact learning outcomes. These relationships foster an environment where students feel valued, engaged, and motivated to learn—factors that technology cannot replicate.
Therefore, technology and data-driven strategies offer tools but are not panaceas. The art of teaching—rooted in empathy, adaptability, and the ability to engage and inspire—remains central. The relationship between students and educators is where the real magic happens – in the words of the late great Rita Pierson, “Kids don’t learn from people they don’t like.” It’s in the nuanced understanding of a student’s struggles, the tailored encouragement, and the passion for the subject matter that genuinely transformative learning experiences are crafted. The call for subject area experts is warranted, but only if and when those experts are trained to educate. Anyone can walk into a room of willing learners and teach them something they are experts in; however, this is not the reality of the classroom. Being a teacher is about walking into a classroom where many kids don’t want to be there and teaching them something they don’t yet know they want to learn – that is the fine art of pedagogy.
Embracing Complexity
Educational research offers invaluable insights into effective teaching strategies, but it’s not a cookbook to be followed to the letter. The limitations of this research remind us to view it as a guide rather than a gospel. Context matters: what works in one classroom may falter in another due to countless variables that studies can only partially capture. That is why there is no gospel of teaching, despite what some experts want to tell you. You learn as much as you can – you have a vast array of tools and techniques at your fingertips, and you use them all to corral young minds into learning something they never thought they could or would want to – this is the power of education.
We must approach education with a blend of optimism for the future and scepticism about easy answers. By critically engaging with research and remaining adaptable to the unique needs of each student, educators can navigate the complexities of modern teaching with confidence and creativity. Heed any expert who claims to have the correct answer and embraces the complexity and nuance of someone willing to share their experiences and admit that while they have ideas, there is no one-size-fits-all model.
In this journey, let both data and intuition guide us, be wary but embrace useful technologies, and, most of all, practice empathy to create learning environments that are as dynamic and multifaceted as the students we aim to inspire.
Maximising Student Potential 