Podcast # 1 Improving the Teaching of Reading
This podcast explores research from the Literacy Care website which explains the importance of using scientific and evidence-based reading interventions, as opposed to programs that are not backed by research. It outlines, for example, a five-level hierarchy to classify the efficacy of reading interventions, with Level 1 being the most effective, supported by randomised control trials. The excerpt then identifies eight fundamental principles that underpin effective reading interventions, such as the need for multisensory, alphabetic and grapho-phonemic instruction, as well as direct, explicit, repetitive, and drill-like instruction. Finally, it emphasises the importance of Response to Intervention, where the program is adapted based on the child’s individual needs and responses. Read More
Podcast #2: The design and implementation of an effective professional learning (PL) model.
This podcast examines a research paper by the SCU TeachLab research team which proposes a cyclical model of data-informed PL. The model involves three key components: data-informed instructional decision-making, co-planning, and co-implementation. The model emphasizes the importance of sustained, job-embedded PL communities where teachers work collaboratively to identify problems of practice, analyze relevant data, plan and implement strategies, and reflect on their impact. The podcast discusses the importance of principal leadership in facilitating teacher collaboration and fostering a culture of openness and critical reflection. Read the Paper.
Podcast # 3 Establishing a Community of Practice for Teaching Improvement
This podcast explores establishing and sustaining a community of practice (CoP) focused on teaching improvement. The authors argue that a CoP can be understood as a group of people who share a craft or profession and that such groups are crucial for the professional growth of individual members. The authors utilise the Theory of Planned Behaviour to identify three key components that are crucial for establishing a CoP: attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control. The research goes on to propose an Activation Schema, which outlines the elements necessary for establishing a CoP, including self-interest, a circumstance of concern, raised awareness, opportunity through activity, and support. Finally, the paper highlights the importance of a ‘broker’ who can effectively orchestrate and align these elements to facilitate the establishment of a CoP. Read the Paper.
Podcast #4 The Teaching Improvement Agenda
This podcast examines a new book by Professor David Lynch and his fellow authors from around the globe. This podcast explains what teaching improvement requires, how it is achieved, and how to maintain it in your classroom and school. Based on studies involving real schools and real teachers, The Teaching Improvement Agenda is focused on what really matters for teachers and leaders in today’s schools. The book begins with an examination of the education field to identify the fundamental elements that inform and generate teaching improvement. This lays the foundations for an instructive set of innovative, research-informed strategies that have been designed to empower the teacher and school leader to improve teaching across the whole school. The book closes with a series of case studies that demonstrate these approaches in action. Answering the “what?” and “how?” questions of teaching improvement, this book is an essential guide for school leaders and teachers, as well as instructors and students in initial teacher education. Read the Book.