School leadership and management resources
Approaches to learning
To reach an agreement about a unified approach to learning, meet with key stakeholders to consider:
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What students learn
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How students learn
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How teachers teach
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When students learn each aspect of the curriculum
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What resources best support the preferred model
Current best practice is a mixture of explicit teaching (facts and skills) and inquiry learning (method), with the emphasis on inquiry. Good teachers know when to apply which approach, and they are not subject specific.
The links below lead to an overview of inquiry learning and student-led reporting of academic progress, with examples of guides, standards and planners, and an example of a student learning policy.
The role of homework
Renowned education researcher, John Hattie, found that homework has virtually no impact for young students, and quite a lot of impact for senior students. He also suggests that the nature of homework may play a positive role in improving student learning.
The following link leads to an example of a homework policy that responds to this research.