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Research on the Inclusive pedagogical approach for trainee teachers

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Research on the Inclusive pedagogical approach for trainee teachers

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Key messages: Learning without Limits; taking calculated risks with pedagogy; working collaboratively with others.

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Some of the most interesting discussions I've had with teachers in recent times have been about the challenge of making modelling work so that students all learn to do the things they are modelling. In one case it was in English. The teacher found it frustrating that, despite feeling she was doing the 'right things' in her modelling, several students still couldn't get going. Over a series of instructional coaching discussions we identified what was happening. If you had a video of her alone, you'd see a teacher giving a really clear exposition of how to write the paragraph in the form required. As a knowledgable adult writer, it made total sense to me. But, if you were to see it through the eyes of one of the struggling students, it was like a novice dancer watching an expert: impressive but overwhelming. Put simply, there were too many steps to learn all at once. Initially the teacher had asked the class to copy down the exemplar as she live modelled it - but we identified that in doing this students were not mentally engaging with her explanatory talk; they were just focused on copying the words correctly. Not enough thinking was being done. She changed approach, broke it down into even smaller steps and got students to discuss and then practise their own version of each small step - phrase by phrase. It took longer but the results were far better.

I've had similar discussions in other contexts too. Ollie Lovell discusses the issue in relation to 'worked examples' in his excellent Cognitive Load Theory In Action book.. - see a discussion of it in the video here. (view from 27.35)

As Ollie explains, worked examples are not examples students do for practice after a teacher explains some model answers; they are examples teachers and students work through together before students then practise independently.

As with the English modelling example, the learning happens in the extended handover with the teacher carefully managing the cognitive load and reducing scaffolding slowly, step by step. An example of this is the use of backward fading in maths problems - but the general idea applies elsewhere.

One way to thing of this is in terms of a handover, baton-style:

A baton exchange is only successful if the receiver get a firm grip. If you look from a distance, it might appear instantaneous. But learning doesn't form in that way with knowledge leaping from the teacher to the student:

Watching a teacher perform a task doesn't necessarily mean a student can do it, even if they have seen exactly what the teacher has done and heard them explain it really clearly. There's just too much to take in, to process and turn into knowledge they can deploy themselves.

What is needed is a much more extended hand-over where the teacher works with the students to do the task together:

Zoom right in on that baton hand-over. It's not instaneous; a crucial time passes when both people are holding the baton together. In that brief moment, they are communicating through the touch: Have you got it? No, not yet. Ok, I'm still with you. Grip harder. Have you got it now. Nearly, keeping holding, I'm nearly there.. Ok. You're ready.. Off you go. Yes, I'm ready, let go. I already have.... you're away.

In a real world lesson context the ' We do it together' process is the key to modelling. Ollie Lovell refers to this as the 'alternation strategy'. This is where students get a sense of what it feels like to do the task successfully, working towards the moment of independence. Students who struggle need this to be longer, with more smaller steps, more iterations of to and fro until they are up and running. This period will be fuelled by lots of checking for understanding and guided practice on the details. I've met teachers who hold back from this - they think of it as spoon-feeding and spoon-feeding is a bad thing. I have to say to them - no, it's not; it's ok. It's teaching! Don't drop that baton for fear of over-helping. Of course you have to let go in the end... but only when they're ready.

So, if modelling isn't quite firing for you, the answer is likely to be that you need to break it down even more, getting students to practise each step with you alongside them even more before you move onto the next one. As with learning a dance, once you know the steps you can then start to link them together, to practise several at once until, eventually you have the whole dance. Sometimes you just need to practise the beginning, the middle or the end - and the same is true for writing and maths problems. You don't always need to start from the beginning - so varying the point at which modelling begins can be a useful thing to consider.

Update. Here's a fabulous graphic from David Goodwin.

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The art of modelling... it's all in the handover.

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Some of the most interesting discussions I've had with teachers in recent times have been about the challenge of making modelling work so that students all learn to do the things they are modelling. In one case it was in English. The teacher found it frustrating that, despite feeling she was doing the 'right things'...

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Watch

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High quality teaching: The 'five-a- day' principle

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Inclusive Pedagogy in Action Analytical framework

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Inclusive Pedagogy in Action Analytical framework

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Five Ways to Secure Progress Through Modelling

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A central feature of an instructional teaching process is for a teacher to show their students how to do something so that they can then do it themselves. This applies to countless elements of lear…

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Applying the seven-step model to support independent learning: Primary schools

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'These student actions or responses could include pairing and sharing with a peer.' ©Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

In any given lesson, when do teachers shift from being 'information providers' to becoming facilitators of learning with their students? Do teachers know when to interrupt student thinking and provide the appropriate scaffolds? And, how can educators transition students from being teacher reliant, to independent and interdependent learners in the classroom?

These questions highlight the critical elements of instructional scaffolding in the classroom. In this article, we uncover the answers to these questions and explore, through an instructional scaffolding model, the importance of developing students' responsibility for their learning. We also provide a practical framework for cultivating student independency and interdependency in the learning process.

Understanding the theory

Instructional scaffolding as a strategy for supporting learners begins with Lev Vygotsky's sociocultural theory and his learning concept of the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Specifically, his sociocultural theory asserts that cognition is developed through social interaction.

Vygotsky coined a definition of instructional scaffolding that focused on teacher practices. He defined this as, 'the role of teachers and others in supporting the learner's development and providing support structures to get to that next stage or level' (Raymond, 2000). Vygotsky believed that learning does not occur in isolation. Rather, learning is a social process, guided by interactions with classmates and others involved in the lesson.

A second layer to instructional scaffolding exists with Vygotsky's conceptual thoughts about supporting independency. This support mechanism - ZPD - is the difference between what a learner can do independently and what a learner can complete with adult support or scaffolding practices.

Vygotsky committed to his belief that instructional scaffolding and application of these scaffolds at the ZPD allowed for any child to successfully learn in any area. The activation process of the ZPD is initiated when content is taught just outside of the student's current skill and knowledge level. This ignites a student's motivation to know more about the content and, as a result, pushes forward the learner's effort to work beyond their current skill level.

Enabling students to become problem solvers

As students transition from receiving direct instruction from the teacher, towards independent problem solving and networking with other classmates, the need for instructional scaffolding is essential if students are to acquire skills that will help them lead their own learning.

This work requires individuals to develop into highly interactive, solution-oriented, and effective communicators and contributors, resulting in effective process thinking. This means current classrooms should make available ample opportunities to practice these skills so that students are fully equipped with leadership capabilities that align with workplace requirements for interdependency.

An 'I Do, We Do, You Do' framework

Instructional scaffolding supports student learning and growth by shifting cognitive engagement from the teacher to the student (Fisher & Frey, 2007). As the educator delivers new content to the student, they must be aware of each student's location within the ZPD

The ZPD identifies the level of independency in the learner - more specifically, it identifies gaps in learning and skills. Understanding a student's location within the ZPD supports self-efficacy as a result of the gradual release framework 'I Do, We Do, You Do.'

The gradual release framework originates with teachers demonstrating and modeling the learning for their own students - referred to as 'I do'. Here, the teacher is implementing approximately 90 per cent of the 'heavy lifting' or work (Archer & Hughes, 2011). During this phase of the instructional process, most actions (explicit instruction) are presented by the teacher.

Within this direct instruction time, it is important that students show their engagement with an overt behaviour as the teacher scaffolds and checks for understanding. This overt behaviour makes up approximately 10 per cent of the student responsibility in this first phase of teaching and learning.

These student actions or responses could include: signaling, pairing and sharing with a peer, writing a response, showing a written response via a whiteboard, or actively participating in a cooperative learning activity. The emphasis here is that an observable student action is mandatory so that teachers can see the level of understanding from each individual student at this early stage of learning new content.

As teachers and students transition from the first to the second phase of the release framework, or 'We do', the level of responsibility begins to shift as well for both student and teacher. Within this next stage, the heavy lifting is almost equal as the teacher begins to transition more learning ownership on to the students. Specifically, students own 40 per cent of the learning responsibility within this guided practice portion of the gradual release of responsibility model. At this point, the teacher being still highly involved, works side-by-side small groups of students.

The teacher might structure a small group question for students to answer, create an application activity that aligns with the learning, or provide word webs, concepts maps, and graphic organisers for students to organise learned content. The role of the teacher balances leading instruction with a more facilitative and indirect formative assessment of the new learning. The teacher frequently moves throughout the classroom observing and checking in on individuals and small groups as students demonstrate their learning.

Once the teacher determines readiness on the part of her or his students, the learners take on the last stage of the framework - an independent practice approach described as 'You do'. Approximately 90 per cent of the responsibility is placed on the students for their own learning and mastery of the content.

At this phase, the students are comfortable with the content and can easily progress through learning activities assigned, participate in small and large group discussions with little assistance by the teacher, can generate new questions and discussions, and apply the newly learned content. Teachers fully facilitate the learning, listen in on conversations, and formatively assess the progress of each student.

Productive struggle provides an opportunity for students to think through and grapple with complex concepts that may have multiple reasonable outcomes. The ability to facilitate student conversation is a skill that master teachers often demonstrate.

Skillful educators encourage students to agree, disagree, debate, and contribute alternative answers to a central content being discussed. As a result, teachers allow student teams to persist with the concept, in which complex thinking and heavy lifting resides with the students.
Figure 1. Share of responsibility for task completion in the 'I Do, We Do, You Do' framework, adapted from Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. (1983).
An independent and interdependent learner

The gradual release framework facilitates the creation of independent learners through personalised learning and academic goal setting. In this process, these students realise the importance of rigorous personal goals and make connections to real life experiences.

Students as independent learners should exhibit the following qualities:

Establish a personal learning goal

Initiate action plans to achieve learning outcomes

Lead conversations connected to a lesson or unit of inquiry

Make connections to content and community

Monitor personal academic goals

Respond to feedback as a frame for individual continuous improvement

Students as interdependent learners should exhibit the following qualities:

Collaboratively set a group learning goal

Expand on others' thoughts

Help classmates understand content and make community connections

Initiate action plans to achieve group learning outcomes

Monitor group academic goals

Respond to feedback as a frame for group continuous improvement

Teachers support independent and interdependent students by facilitating the learning process rather than directing it. Creating an environment that fosters goal setting and collaboration in the ZPD promotes students to develop from teacher-reliant into self-sufficient learners (Vygotsky, 1978).
References
As a result of this, students experience greater self-efficacy through ownership of their learning experiences by advocating for themselves and leading peer collaborations.

Archer, A. L., & Hughes, C. (2011). Explicit instruction: Effective and efficient teaching. Guilford Press.

Fisher, D., & Frey, N. (2007). The formative assessment action plan. Alexandria, VA: Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Pearson, P. D., & Gallagher, M. C. (1983). The instruction of reading comprehension. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 8(3), 317-344.

Raymond, E. (2000). Cognitive Characteristics. Learners with Mild Disabilities (pp. 169-201). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon, A Pearson Education Company
Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press.

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The importance of instructional scaffolding

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Through an instructional scaffolding model, today's article explores the importance of students taking responsibility for their learning.

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Teaching assistant with KS2 EAL pupils. 

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Teaching assistant with KS2 EAL pupils. 

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Capture, manage, and search all your video content.

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What is scaffolding?

Scaffolding means providing temporary support for an inexperienced learner in order to help them to complete a task or acquire a skill, and then gradually withdrawing that support. Inexperienced learners learn from working with someone more experienced than themselves as they are 'scaffolded' by their knowledge and expertise. This idea is integral to the learning of a language, as learners who are the New to English, Early Acquisition and Developing Competence stages of English language proficiency will need more scaffolding in terms of support for their language development.

Scaffolding language and learning includes such strategies as:

Modelling and demonstrating language orally or in writing to the learner

Encouraging learners to use their first language skills

Activating prior knowledge about a new topic to create a context for the new learning

Incorporating collaborative group or pair work into lessons

Using visuals and graphic organisers such as pictures, models, diagrams, grids, tables and graphs to support understanding

Providing language prompts and frames for speaking and writing

Examples of activities

Scaffolding is important at all ages, in all subjects and at all stages of English language proficiency, but especially the earlier stages. Here are some examples:

1. Vocabulary building:

Teach key words and phrases in the learner's first language in preparation for a task. Translated vocabulary could be provided or learners could use a bilingual dictionary to find out the meaning of target language. This way the learner is using what they already know in their first language as a scaffold for their learning. For example, GCSE poetry resources, such as Poppies by Jane Weir, identify key words and phrases for EAL learners to look up before or while reading the poem.

Substitution tables are an excellent way of providing scaffolding for EAL learners to generate simple sentences orally or in writing. They can give the learner choices about the content of their sentence whilst still maintaining a specific structure. For example, in Specialised Cells there are substitution tables to support EAL learners in describing particular cells, e.g. Sperm cells can swim, and also to describe the function of these cells, e.g. The function of nerve cells is to carry messages around the body.

3. Collaborative activities:

Provide planned opportunities for learners to work collaboratively, in pairs or a group, on a task that requires a particular type of talk and has a clear outcome. If the groups are of mixed ability, contain learners who share a first language and/ or more proficient users of English, this provides a scaffold.

4. Speaking and writing frames:

Like substitution tables, speaking and writing frames provide a scaffold for EAL learners to practise specific structures. For example, in A Balanced Diet, speaking/writing frame cards are provided as scaffolding to support EAL learners to talk and write about why we need particular elements for a healthy diet. We need _____________ to help...

How scaffolding works

The kind of support and scaffold that the teacher provides is crucial to the educational success of the learner. As demonstrated above scaffolding for language development can take a wide variety of different forms, such as peer support, use of first language, written prompts such as substitution tables or writing frames. The key elements are:

Choose a type of scaffold appropriate to the task

Use the scaffold as a temporary support that is withdrawn as soon as the learner can manage independently without it

Top tip: Use a scaffold that will enable the cognitive challenge of the task to be appropriately high. For example, encouraging EAL learners to look up key language in advance in a bilingual dictionary will enable them to build on their prior knowledge and undertake a more challenging task than they would be able to tackle in English alone.

Why is scaffolding a Great Idea for EAL learners?

Scaffolding is important for EAL learners as it enables them to move from dependent to independent learning, as emphasised by NALDIC (1999). They gradually take over more of a task until they can do it without the expert's support. They can then move onto more challenging learning which continues to be scaffolded by the expert. Scaffolding also enables teachers to maintain high expectations of the learner rather than simplifying the task.

Scaffolding is a key concept in Vygotsky's work on the relationship between thought and language (e.g. Vygotsksy 1962), and Bruner's research in the 1970s (e.g. Bruner 1975) also looked at this and suggested that language learning is scaffolded by what he termed the learner's Language Acquisition Support System. More recently, practitioners like Gibbons emphasised the importance of scaffolding language as well as learning when working with EAL learners (Gibbons 2015).

References

Bruner, J., 1975, Language as an instrument of thought, in A. Davies (Ed.), Problems of Language and Learning, London: Heinemann.

Gibbons, P., 2015, Scaffolding language scaffolding learning (2nd edition), Portsmouth NH: Heinemann.

NALDIC, 1999, The distinctiveness of English as an Additional Language: a cross-curricular discipline, National Association of Language Development in the Curriculum, Working Paper 5.

Vygotsky L. S., 1962, Thought and language. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press.

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Great Idea: Scaffolding Play What is scaffolding? Scaffolding means providing temporary support for an inexperienced learner in order to help them to complete a task or acquire a skill, and then gradually withdrawing that support. Inexperienced learners learn from working with someone more experienced than themselves as they are 'scaffolded' by their knowledge and expertise.

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Read about Jerome Bruner's theory of scaffolding.

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Students learn from experts by building on what they already know; each learner's background shapes how he/she learns. How children learn and think derives directly from the culture around them, but that of a child perceives things much differently from an adult. Children learn from building on what they already know to what they need to know, with the help of adults. Many visual technology tools, from video-based scenarios to virtual reality, are designed to scaffold students' understanding through graphic examples and real-life experiences relevant to their individual needs.

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Jerome Bruner's Scaffolding Theory By: Emily Dellisola and Fran DeCaro Jerome Bruner American Psychologist who contributed to cognitive psychology and cognitive learning theories in education. Students learn from experts by building on what they already know; each learner's background shapes how he/she learns.

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While modeling the think-aloud strategy "teachers verbalize aloud while reading a selection orally. Their verbalizations include describing things they're doing as they read to monitor their comprehension. The purpose of the think-aloud strategy is to model for students how skilled readers construct meaning from a text." (Farr,Connor, 2015). Think-alouds can be used before and during reading. They can also be used individually, with small groups, and in a whole group setting. Teachers need to model this strategy before letting students do it on their own or in small groups. When modeling, the students are able to answer the questions that the teacher is asking. Come up with questions to ask for students to use as a guide. Give the students many opportunities to practice this strategy before letting them do it on their own. "When teachers model strategy use (such as through think-alouds) and then provide appropriate scaffolding during practice sessions, students are more likely to become effective strategy users." (Ehevarria, Vogt, Short, 2015, pg. 134).

There are a variety of ways to embed the think-aloud strategy into the curriculum. According to Reading Rockets, there are three parts to the think-aloud strategy: modeling, coached practice, and reflection. Once these three components have been gone through extensively, the students will be ready to use the think-aloud strategy on their own. Using those three parts is a way of scaffolding our instruction for students and using a bottom-up approach. "There is no magic formula or set of steps which will make this method (or any other) successful. Success lies in how you use it - which means choosing appropriate texts, listening carefully to students, determining students' abilities, and adapting the method to your own students' needs and abilities." (Farr, Connor, 2015).

Content Area Examples

"Learning strategies can transfer to new tasks." (Echevarria, Vogt, Short, 2015).
Mathematics: When teaching a new math concept, the teacher can use think-aloud strategies to model what steps students should be taking. The teacher can talk about the questions and processes that need to go through a student's head as they solve the math problem. "Self-regulated learning emphasizes autonomy and control by the individual who monitors, directs, and regulates actions toward goals of information acquisition, expanding expertise, and self-improvement." (Echevarria, Vogt, Short, 2015). This is important because students will need to utilize the different strategies they have to complete the math problem.

Science: Teachers can use the think-aloud process to discuss the scientific processes and experiments. When asking students to explore and evaluate, the teacher can model the thought processes and questions that go along with those tasks. This can be critical for students because they will be learning the framework for how to approach a posed science question.

Reading: While doing an interactive read-aloud, the teacher should model the think-aloud strategy to show students what questions and thought processes need to happen when you read. This will show the students how to make connections, ask the right questions, and predict what will happen next.

Social Studies: While discussing different cultures, places, and historical times, think-alouds can be a great strategy to help students delve deeper into their understanding. The students will use questions modeled by the teacher to help them further their comprehension. If they are reading their text book about a difficult topic, such as the Holocaust, they can use the think-aloud strategy to help them understand better. Two of the key statements that will help students in social studies is: "I was confused by.." or "I have to reread that part because".

Why should we use think-alouds?

Purpose: The purpose for using a think-aloud is to help students improve their comprehension. Students need to:

"Draw on background knowledge as they read

Make predictions as they read

Visualize the events of a text as they read

Recognize confusion as they read

Recognize a text's structure/organization as they read

Identify/recognize a purpose for reading

Monitor their strategy use according to the purpose for reading the text" (Farr, Connor, 2015).

Wayne Wright discusses the need for "using scaffolding, promoting higher order thinking skills, and teaching learning strategies." (Wright, 2015, 89). We use think-alouds to help students realize what questions and statements skilled readers use to make sense of the text.

English Language Learners

While using the think-aloud strategy for English Language Learners, be sure to have the spots that are most beneficial to stop and think-aloud already planned out. Using this strategy is very beneficial for ELLs because they are going to be able to relate back to their prior knowledge and stop and think when they need to. This strategy will also have them reflect on whether or not they understood what they read. Creating an open and inviting environment for students to share their answers is important. The think-aloud strategy helps students to realize the questions, connections, and prompts that should be going on in their head while they read a text.
This video models the think-aloud strategy. She has already modeled it for the students, so this time she is asking for more student involvement. She prompts the students with statements like: "I predict that..." Listen in to see how she is helping her ELL students comprehend the story more.

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While modeling the think-aloud strategy "teachers verbalize aloud while reading a selection orally. Their verbalizations include describing things they're doing as they read to monitor their...

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Why do we use ​'Think Aloud'?

If we want pupils to tackle open ended problem solving in my school, we'll often begin with Think Alouds.

Recommendation 3 of the EEF ​' Improving Mathematics at Key Stages 2 and 3' guidance report highlights that, to help pupils develop problem-solving skills, we need to provide opportunities for them to use and compare different approaches, and to monitor and reflect upon their effectiveness. Think Aloud approaches meet this end.

When I approach Think Alouds, I explore what the problem is asking me to do, and what I still need to find out. I narrate my thought processes to show I knew that I needed to work systematically to find multiple solutions to a problem. I then model how to organise my working to record solutions using a table. I model monitoring and evaluating my approach, showing pupils how I knew that I had found all possible solutions.

Using a Think Aloud in this way gave my pupils insight into how I - as an ​'expert' learner - approach problem-solving, making my thought processes clear and transparent. Ultimately, this allowed pupils to become self-scaffolders, giving them a script to replay when it came to their own independent problem-solving.

When should we use ​'Think Aloud'?

At Amberley primary school, we use Think Alouds frequently to model both the problem-solving process as a whole, and specific elements of this that we need teach explicitly. For example, this can be used to demonstrate how to get started with a problem, how to select an appropriate approach, or how to monitor progress or evaluate the strategies used.

Think Aloud models aren't just used for whole class teaching. They're also used when supporting small groups or delivering interventions. Staff then encourage pupils to narrate their thought processes when working with an adult. This helps our staff team to understand the strategies children use and whether or not these are effective. It also supports formative assessment by allowing us to check for understanding, which then informs future teaching.

What do we say in a ​'Think Aloud'?

What I say during a Think Aloud depends on the stage of the problem-solving process I am modelling. I use the first person to ask myself questions whilst working. This shows learners the types of questions that they can ask themselves so that they can later apply this in their own independent problem-solving.

I use the metacognitive cycle - plan, monitor and evaluate - to structure my Think Alouds.

When planning my approaches, I ask myself questions such as, ​' What do I notice?', ​' What information is given and how could this help me?' and ​' Have I seen something similar to this before?'

At this stage, I model choosing a strategy such as bar modelling to represent the problem and help me identify the steps needed to solve it. For pupils, this highlights the importance of considering prior knowledge and how to identify a way into the problem in their independent work.

I model monitoring my problem-solving approaches by asking: ​' Is my approach working?', ​' I'm stuck; what could I do now?', or ​' Does my solution make sense?'

I've found that modelling this stage of the problem-solving process has been extremely valuable to show pupils how to check that their work is on track and makes sense in the context of the problem. This helps pupils to review their work more frequently and prevent pupils from blindly pursuing a strategy even when it becomes apparent that this just isn't working.

Finally, I model evaluating my approach to problem-solving by asking myself: ​' Did the approach work? Why?' or ​' What would I do differently next time?' I also ensure that I model asking, ​' What have I learned about myself and my learning?' When considering my own practice, this evaluation is the element of the problem-solving process which I may previously have skipped over or missed out. However, I've come to realise this is vitally important because it helps pupils make connections and develop their understanding of themselves as learners more broadly.

For example, pupils in my class have learned to identify specific gaps in their own understanding, or areas where they feel more confident than others. For many children, this has helped them to identify their own targets for learning, for example in relation to particular multiplication facts, or mathematical concepts which they find challenging.

For us, using Think Aloud models to develop problem-solving has been the first step in helping learners to understand how to overcome challenges in their own learning, by showing how we - the adults working with them - do this ourselves.

Providing a Think Aloud model helps pupils to develop a toolkit of strategies which inform their future work, equipping them with the knowledge and skills they need to become independent problem-solvers in the future.

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why do we use ‘think aloud’?  if we want pupils to tackle open ended problem solving in my school

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we’ll often begin with think alouds .  recommendation 3 of the eef ‘ improving mathematics at key stages 2 and 3 ’ guidance report highlights that

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to help pupils develop problem-solving skills

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we need to provide opportunities for them to use and compare different approaches

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and to monitor and reflect upon their effectiveness. think aloud approaches meet this end.  when i approach think alouds

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i explore what the problem is asking me to do

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and what i still need to find out. i narrate my thought processes to show  how  i knew that i needed to work systematically to find multiple solutions to a problem. i then model how to organise my working to record solutions using a table. i model monitoring and evaluating my approach

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showing pupils how i knew that i had found all possible solutions.    using a think aloud in this way gave my pupils insight into how i – as an ‘expert’ learner – approach problem-solving

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making my thought processes clear and transparent.  ultimately

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this allowed pupils to become self-scaffolders

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giving them a script to replay when it came to their own independent problem-solving.  when should we use ‘think aloud’?    at amberley primary school

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we use think alouds frequently to model both the problem-solving process as a whole

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and specific elements of this that we need teach explicitly. for example

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this can be used to demonstrate how to get started with a problem

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or how to monitor progress or evaluate the strategies used.    think aloud models aren’t just used for whole class teaching. they’re also used when supporting small groups or delivering interventions. staff then encourage pupils to narrate their thought processes when working with an adult. this helps our staff team to understand the strategies children use and whether or not these are effective. it also supports formative assessment by allowing us to check for understanding

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which then informs future teaching.    what do we say in a ‘think aloud’?   what i say during a think aloud depends on the stage of the problem-solving process i am modelling. i use the first person to ask myself questions whilst working. this shows learners the types of questions that they can ask themselves so that they can later apply this in their own independent problem-solving.    i use the metacognitive cycle – plan

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monitor and evaluate – to structure my think alouds.  when planning my approaches

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‘ what information is given and how could this help me? ’ and ‘ have i seen something similar to this before? ’  at this stage

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i model choosing a strategy such as bar modelling to represent the problem and help me identify the steps needed to solve it. for pupils

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this highlights the importance of considering prior knowledge and how to identify a way into the problem in their independent work.  i model monitoring my problem-solving approaches by asking: ‘ is my approach working? ’

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or ‘ does my solution make sense? ’   i’ve found that modelling this stage of the problem-solving process has been extremely valuable to show pupils how to check that their work is on track and makes sense in the context of the problem. this helps pupils to review their work more frequently and prevent pupils from blindly pursuing a strategy even when it becomes apparent that this just isn’t working.  finally

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i model evaluating my approach to problem-solving by asking myself: ‘ did the approach work? why? ’ or ‘ what would i do differently next time? ’ i also ensure that i model asking

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‘ what have i learned about myself and my learning? ’ when considering my own practice

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this evaluation is the element of the problem-solving process which i may previously have skipped over or missed out. however

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i’ve come to realise this is vitally important because it helps pupils make connections and develop their understanding of themselves as learners more broadly.

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EEF blog: The what, why, when and how of using a 'Think Aloud' in...

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Why do we use ​'Think Aloud'? If we want pupils to tackle open ended problem solving in my school, we'll often begin with Think Alouds. Recommendation 3 of the EEF ​' Improving Mathematics at Key Stages 2 and 3' guidance report highlights that, to help pupils develop problem-solving skills, we need to provide opportunities for them to use and compare different approaches, and to monitor and reflect upon their effectiveness. Think Aloud approaches meet this end.

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As we move into the new academic year, many schools will be contemplating how best to promote pupils' independence and resilience.

This has long been the ​'million-dollar question' in schools, but perhaps in the year ahead it holds even more importance, as school staff look to move pupils' learning forwards in the wake of Covid.

The EEF's ​'Moving Forwards, Making a Difference' school planning guide is designed to support teachers and school leaders in identifying and addressing key priorities for their settings in the year ahead. Written in response to some of the , it offers practical advice and signposts evidence-informed resources on a variety of areas of teaching practice, from maximising the quality of teaching to removing non-academic barriers to attainment.

However, on re-reading the guide, I was struck by how much of the advice relates back to metacognition. For example, metacognitive strategies form one core element of the ​'Five-a-day' approach, which identifies evidence-informed ​'best bets' that can have a positive impact for all pupils, including those with SEND.

Whilst some dismiss the term as ​'jargon', there's no doubt that metacognition is critical to successful learning. In simple terms, metacognition involves teaching pupils specific strategies for planning, monitoring, and evaluating their learning. It's one of the most promising approaches in the EEF's Teaching and Learning toolkit , with an average impact of an additional seven months' progress over the course of a year.

By developing metacognitive strategies and skills, we can help pupils to take increasing ownership over their work, enabling them to understand why particular strategies support effective learning. This equips pupils with a bank of strategies to choose from, as well as the skills they need to select the most suitable for a given task.

Metacognition and ​'Think Alouds'

In the classroom, we can promote the development of metacognition through explicit modelling and scaffolding. EEF guidance suggests we can do this by adopting a strategy, where teachers narrate their thought processes to provide a model of how ​'expert' learners approach tasks.

Whilst ​'Thinking Aloud', it can be helpful to ask yourself some key questions . Some examples of these can be found in the ​'Think Aloud Planning Tool' below.

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many schools will be contemplating how best to promote pupils’ independence and resilience.  this has long been the ‘million-dollar question’ in schools

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but perhaps in the year ahead it holds even more importance

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as school staff look to move pupils’ learning forwards in the wake of covid.  the  eef’s ‘moving forwards

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making a difference’ school planning guide  is designed to support teachers and school leaders in identifying and addressing key priorities for their settings in the year ahead. written in response to some of the  latest findings  around  the  impacts of  the covid pandemic

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it offers practical advice and signposts evidence-informed resources on a variety of areas of teaching practice

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from maximising the quality of teaching to removing non-academic barriers to attainment.  however

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i was struck by how much of the advice relates back to metacognition. for example

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metacognitive strategies form one core element of the ‘five-a-day’ approach

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which identifies evidence-informed ‘best bets’ that can have a positive impact for all pupils

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including those with send.  whilst some dismiss the term as ‘jargon’

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there’s no doubt that metacognition is critical to successful learning. in simple terms

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metacognition involves teaching pupils specific strategies for planning

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and evaluating their learning. it’s one of the most promising approaches in the  eef’s teaching and learning toolkit

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with an average impact of an additional seven months’ progress over the course of a year.  by developing metacognitive strategies and skills

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we can help pupils to take increasing ownership over their work

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enabling them to understand why particular strategies support effective learning. this equips pupils with a bank of strategies to choose from

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as well as the skills they need to select the most suitable for a given task.  metacognition and ‘think alouds’  in the classroom

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we can promote the development of metacognition through explicit modelling and scaffolding. eef guidance suggests we can do this by adopting a  ‘think aloud’  strategy

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where teachers narrate their thought processes to provide a model of how ‘expert’ learners approach tasks.  whilst ‘thinking aloud’

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it can be helpful to  ask yourself some key questions  . some examples of these can be found in the ‘think aloud planning tool’ below.    as well as modelling

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we can use questioning to prompt these reflections from the pupils themselves through the  ‘debrief’  . the debrief supports pupils to consider the success of the approaches they’ve used

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and to identify other scenarios in which these could be useful.  key questions include:  - what exactly did you do? - why did this help you? - what was challenging? why? - is there a better way to…? - what changes would you make? why?  the debrief provides a model for pupils in the class

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developing their understanding of the range of approaches open to them.  however

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enabling us to support pupils in developing more efficient strategies where needed.  ultimately

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practical classroom approaches like the ‘think aloud’ and the ‘debrief’ can help teachers establish effective strategies for their new classes. they can help pupils in grappling with tricky topics after a summer away from the classroom.

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EEF blog: Moving forwards and mobilising metacognition

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As we move into the new academic year, many schools will be contemplating how best to promote pupils' independence and resilience. This has long been the ​'million-dollar question' in schools, but perhaps in the year ahead it holds even more importance, as school staff look to move pupils' learning forwards in the wake of Covid.

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Using a 'Think Aloud' to support pupils' problem-solving

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Five Ways to Secure Progress Through Modelling

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A central feature of an instructional teaching process is for a teacher to show their students how to do something so that they can then do it themselves. This applies to countless elements of lear…

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How can you confidently implement live modelling in your classroom?

Many teachers are afraid of live modelling. But if we don't do our thinking aloud in front of our pupils we're doing them a massive disservice. Isn't it time all teachers faced their fear so we can help pupils conquer theirs?

Although all of Rosenshine's 17 Principles of Instruction are important, ' Think aloud and model steps ' is one of the most vital. And yet, it's the one that I've seen less and less of in recent years. Perhaps it's because interactive whiteboards and PowerPoint presentations are ubiquitous now. The first lesson I ever taught didn't involve either. It didn't even involve a dry wipe marker. Instead, I had to write everything on the board in chalk. Yes, that makes me feel old.

Death by PowerPoint?

There's no denying that interactive whiteboards have been a game changer where they have been used well. They have allowed teachers to combine multimedia - words, images, video - with considerable ease. Not only have they allowed us to save a lot of time (and paper), but the opportunities for dual coding have been greatly enhanced.

But I can't help feeling they have also contributed to the loss of something very precious: thinking aloud.

It's comforting isn't it, knowing that everything you need is just a click of a button away on the next slide? But I remember a time when this was not always the case. I remember a time when you had to write everything on the board - live! And this often meant speaking your thoughts aloud, especially if you lost your train of thought and had to go back a few sentences to pick it up.

The biggest benefit of this approach is that pupils get to hear their teacher thinking their way through something. They hear it being broken down into the steps they will need to take themselves.

Show don't tell

The best way to teach pupils how to put down their ideas on paper or to solve a problem is to do it yourself. When we're on a journey, we need to show them how to get to their destination. It's no good just telling them.

Making mistakes, unintentionally or otherwise, is one of the powerful aspects of live modelling. We need to show our pupils that we too are not immune to getting things wrong. If we don't, how are they ever going to learn that failing and picking yourself up is a vital step on the road to making genuine progress?

A script for live modelling an essay/longer answer

Over the years, I've been refining my approach to live modelling, especially for essays/longer answer questions. I always imagine that I'm setting out on a Lord Of The Rings-style journey with my class (or 'fellowship' if you prefer). We're setting out to conquer the thing that holds all pupils back from success: fear.

I have used plural pronouns ('we') throughout my script below. Sometimes it is appropriate to model exclusively in the first person 'I'. You may not want audience participation, especially if it's the first time attempting this sort of task. But if you've done something similar as a class before, and you want to promote retention by including your pupils in the decision-making process, stick with 'we'.

If you're concerned pupils will misbehave while you're busy on the board, insist they copy down everything you write on the board - mistakes and all.

1. "Do we have everything we need?"

Model collecting your materials. Quotations? Dates? Key words? Whatever you need for your subject, model getting it together.

This means picking up the relevant bits from primary texts, stimulus materials or notes from previous lessons. Display these somewhere so you can draw on them when you need to, lightening the cognitive load. If you have two whiteboards (electronic + traditional dry wipe), perhaps use one to display the materials and keep the other clear for writing the essay.

2. "Ok, let's go..."

Put pen to paper/marker to whiteboard. This is the scariest step for most pupils. It's like leaving the shire, the safety of home. The potential for failure can be overwhelming and stop them writing.

So show them you're not afraid. Write the first thing that comes into your mind. Your brain is primed with everything you need so it probably won't be too far off the mark. Even if it is, making corrections live is essential.

3. "Are we going in the right direction?"

Before you go too far, take a look back. Check what you've written against the success criteria. Treat the mark scheme like the map. It has your destination but doesn't tell you how to get there. For that you need a compass.

4. "We could include this... or we could write this instead..."

Whether you're inviting audience participation or you're just talking aloud to yourself, it is crucial that you voice your options loudly and clearly.

If the class have had a go at something similar before, you might get them to be your compass. If so, ask them to suggest next steps. You could even say "I think I might do this..." and ask them whether they think this is a good idea or not. Effective modelling goes hand in hand with canny questioning.

5. "I think we're going the wrong way here... Let's do this instead."

If you make a mistake, don't rub it out. Instead, cross it through and move on. Show your students that struggle is normal!

6. "Let's see how we did."

When you've finished, look back at the success criteria/mark scheme to evaluate your performance. Although things will have gone well overall, it's vital to look at the crossings-out to see where you could have gone completely down the wrong path. Pupils will have learned the importance of reflecting on their own performance.

Technology: it's how you use it

I don't mean to come across as a Luddite here. One of the best pieces of kit to equip a classroom with is a visualiser. They can be a great asset for live modelling. But, as with all technology, it depends on how it is used. I've seen too many visualisers being deployed as a glorified camera to merely show pupils' completed work - usually the best example of something.

My feedback to those teachers has always been: where's your work? In particular, where was your work in progress? Did you share this with the pupils? Did they hear you thinking aloud?

Whatever their tool of choice - visualiser, whiteboard, chalkboard - teachers who get the best from pupils know that live modelling is essential.

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How Can You Confidently Implement Live Modelling In Your Classroom? via @TeacherToolkit

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Many teachers are afraid of live modelling. But if we don't do our thinking aloud in front of our pupils we're doing them a massive disservice. Isn't it time all teachers faced their fear so we can help pupils conquer theirs?

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Take a moment to consider all the elements needed for effective teaching - How do we scaffold the learning into manageable steps and allow pupils to take control of their learning?

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The first tool provides more detail about each of the seven steps, while the second can be used to help practitioners explicitly plan how to approach deliberately shifting the responsibility from themselves to the pupil during a lesson, activity or over the course of a series of lessons:

Activating prior knowledge: Consider the key concepts that you have taught previously and what the pupils need to know to access the lesson. There will be differences in what and how much each child knows about the topic, but what is the essential knowledge and how will you ensure all pupils have it before you move on?

Explicit strategy instruction: What is the new knowledge or new technique that you are teaching? Ensure you are not teaching too much in one go as you don't want to overload pupils' working memory.

Modelling of learned strategy: Think about how you will model how to complete the task, but also how you will model your thought processes as you do this. Consider how you will explicitly demonstrate perseverance, resilience and learning from mistakes you have made in the past.

Memorisation of strategy: How will you check to see if pupils have understood what you have taught them? Avoid just asking one or two pupils and assuming that this reflects the understanding of the whole class.

Guided practice: What support will you put in place initially for all pupils? How will those in need of extra help be supported in a way which promotes and sustains their confidence and competence once the scaffold is removed?

Independent practice: Pupils will need varying amounts of guided practice, how will you plan for them all to have the opportunity to engage in independent practice, and what will this look like?

Structured reflection: Individually or in small groups, support pupils to think about what went well and what they would do differently next time. Also encourage them to reflect on how their emotions and motivation levels affected their performance in the task. [Notice the arrow on the ​'Seven-step Model' model, showing the importance of returning to this reflection when pupils do a similar task in the future.

Supporting pupils and scaffolding their learning in this way can help every pupil move from dependence to independence. Not only that, but by improving pupil performance, we can develop their belief in their own competence and in turn, their motivation to achieve. Whether it is improved homework, revision, or similar, the benefits are likely to pay off for our pupils.

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a lack of independence is related to many of the challenges teachers face each day. from the perennial challenges of homework and revision to tasks in the classroom

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we are always seeking to scaffold towards greater independence. it is important to avoid misconceptions around how best to cultivate children’s independence. it is key to recognise that pupils don’t just develop self-sufficiency by being given lots of tasks to work on alone. it is a process that is purposefully supported though explicit modelling and teaching. eventually

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novice pupils go on to develop strategies for themselves by recognising similarities and differences between things they have seen and done before. when this move from dependence to independence occurs

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pupils are more successful in our classrooms. it also means they are better equipped to face the challenges which life might throw at them outside of school

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which is exactly what we want for our pupils.   a framework to develop independence  the ‘seven-step model’ from the eef metacognition and self-regulated learning guidance report offers us a useful framework to support teachers in developing their pupils’ independence. we have developed this into two planning tools to help you consider how you can apply this in your own classroom and help your pupils to take more ownership of their learning.    metacognition: the seven-step model  the first tool provides more detail about each of the seven steps

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while the second can be used to help practitioners explicitly plan how to approach deliberately shifting the responsibility from themselves to the pupil during a lesson

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activity or over the course of a series of lessons:  activating prior knowledge: consider the key concepts that you have taught previously and what the pupils need to know to access the lesson. there will be differences in what and how much each child knows about the topic

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but what is the essential knowledge and how will you ensure all pupils have it before you move on?   explicit strategy instruction : what is the new knowledge or new technique that you are teaching? ensure you are not teaching too much in one go as you don’t want to overload pupils’ working memory.  modelling of learned strategy : think about how you will model how to complete the task

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but also how you will model your thought processes as you do this. consider how you will explicitly demonstrate perseverance

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resilience and learning from mistakes you have made in the past.  memorisation of strategy : how will you check to see if pupils have understood what you have taught them? avoid just asking one or two pupils and assuming that this reflects the understanding of the whole class.  guided practice : what support will you put in place initially for all pupils? how will those in need of extra help be supported in a way which promotes and sustains their confidence and competence once the scaffold is removed?  independent practice : pupils will need varying amounts of guided practice

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how will you plan for them all to have the opportunity to engage in independent practice

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and what will this look like?  structured reflection : individually or in small groups

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support pupils to think about what went well and what they would do differently next time. also encourage them to reflect on how their emotions and motivation levels affected their performance in the task. [notice the arrow on the ‘seven-step model’ model

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showing the importance of returning to this reflection when pupils do a similar task in the future.  supporting pupils and scaffolding their learning in this way can help every pupil move from dependence to independence. not only that

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we can develop their belief in their own competence and in turn

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their motivation to achieve. whether it is improved homework

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the benefits are likely to pay off for our pupils.  featured resources   seven-step model  seven-step model worksheet

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EEF blog: Modelling Independence - The 'Seven-step Model' planning...

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The EEF's Julie Kettlewell explains how to support pupils' independent learning using our seven-step model.

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PGCE ITaP lecture - modelling adaptive teaching 6th May 2025

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IPAA Inclusive Pedagogy in Action Analytical framework

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IPAA Inclusive Pedagogy in Action Analytical framework