20 Key Teaching Practices

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has systematized pedagogical approaches that have proven their effectiveness. As part of this project, experts analyzed over 500 scientific studies on school practices and conducted a survey of representatives of 150 educational institutions participating in the Schools+ project and holding observer status. In addition, consultations were held with 43 pedagogical experts. This work was carried out in stages from November 2022 to April 2024. The research results can significantly impact the improvement of educational practices and the quality of education in schools.

The authors emphasize that, despite the attractiveness of introducing modern technologies into the educational process, it is important to first analyze and improve traditional teaching methods. This approach can help overcome the problem of stagnation in academic performance observed in countries participating in international PISA studies. The integration of traditional and innovative educational methods can be the key to improving the quality of learning and student performance.

This report analyzes five key challenges facing teachers, as well as 20 most effective practices aimed at solving them. Practices represent specific actions and tools that teachers use to achieve educational goals.

This report outlines the key tasks of teachers. First and foremost, the primary goal is to develop students' critical thinking and the ability to independently analyze information. Teachers must also create a supportive learning environment that fosters active learning and interaction among students. An individualized approach to each student is crucial, taking into account their unique abilities and needs. Furthermore, teachers must maintain students' motivation, inspiring them to acquire new knowledge and skills. Finally, an important task is the integration of modern technologies into the educational process to increase its effectiveness and relevance.

ensuring cognitive engagement of students;
creating high-quality educational content;
providing students with social-emotional support;
developing interaction in the classroom;
using formative assessment and feedback.

In this section, we will consider in detail each of the tasks and the practices that contribute to their solution. The main focus is on the key aspects of effective teaching, which are combined in one place. These methods have proven effective, but their implementation in mainstream schools is difficult due to a lack of time and resources among teachers.

Ensuring Cognitive Engagement

Cognitive engagement requires students to consistently exert significant mental effort to deeply understand the educational material. This phenomenon has a direct impact not only on student performance but also on their interest and motivation for learning. Increasing cognitive engagement promotes a more active approach to learning and improves the assimilation of information, which in turn leads to higher academic results. It is important to create conditions in which students will strive to learn new things and actively participate in the educational process.

Stimulating cognitive engagement is an important aspect of learning and development. Various methods and approaches can be used to achieve this goal. Effective strategies include using interactive elements such as quizzes and assignments that require active participation. Visual aids, which help students retain information, are also helpful. Group discussions and hands-on activities encourage the exchange of ideas and strengthen understanding of the topic. Creating an atmosphere where students feel comfortable asking questions and sharing opinions is important. Using technology such as online collaboration platforms can significantly increase engagement. All of these methods promote deeper understanding and retention of the material. Providing an appropriate level of difficulty for materials and assignments. Learning success depends directly on students' ability to consistently apply effort to master new material. It is important to carefully select the difficulty level of assignments. If a task is too easy, students will not be motivated to complete it, which will lead to boredom and decreased motivation for learning. On the other hand, if a task is too difficult, students may struggle to solve it despite their best efforts, which can lead to frustration and demotivation. Therefore, the optimal level of task difficulty is key to maintaining interest and enhancing learning effectiveness.

Supplementing learning materials with real-life examples.

Learning becomes more effective when the curriculum is integrated with real-life examples and includes examples that are understandable and meaningful to students. Research shows that using fictional places and events in learning materials can limit the usefulness of acquired knowledge and reduce students' curiosity and interest in exploration. It is important that real-life examples are relevant and close to students' experiences, which promotes better understanding and retention of the material. Thus, effective learning requires connecting theory with practice, which creates a deeper and more meaningful understanding of the subject.

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Promoting personal experience.

Personal A child's learning experience involves perceiving information through sight, touch, modeling, and understanding the phenomena being studied. In elementary school, guided play, based on clear learning goals and flexible teacher support, is an effective tool for this. In middle and high school classes, it's helpful to integrate experiments, experiences, and mini-investigations, which promote deeper learning and develop critical thinking in students.

Working with different approaches and ideas.

Students should be able to analyze concepts based on a variety of approaches, opinions, and ideas. This approach deepens their understanding of the material and promotes its effective assimilation. It is important to establish connections between the ideas being studied. Students should not only become familiar with different points of view, but also critically understand them, which develops analytical thinking and promotes the formation of an independent view of the topics being studied.

Metacognition.

Metacognitive skills are the ability to recognize, analyze, and manage one's cognitive processes. In order for students to effectively develop these skills, it is important to teach them a variety of metacognitive strategies and provide opportunities for practical application. Key aspects of this training include: understanding one's own strengths and weaknesses, setting learning goals, developing plans for achieving them, monitoring the completion of tasks, and evaluating the results. Developing metacognitive skills helps improve academic performance and build students' confidence in their abilities.

Providing Social-Emotional Support

Social-emotional support plays a key role in creating conditions for the successful development of students both in the educational process and in everyday life. Classrooms where an atmosphere of social and emotional support prevails demonstrate significantly better academic results. This is due to the fact that such conditions contribute to the formation of trusting relationships between students and teachers, which, in turn, increases student motivation and engagement. Emotional support helps develop communication and collaboration skills, which are important not only for the educational process but also for future professional activity. Thus, investing in social-emotional support in the educational environment is essential for achieving high academic results and the overall well-being of students.

Teachers are encouraged to use a variety of approaches to provide social-emotional support to students. It is important to create a safe and supportive atmosphere in the classroom where every student feels valued and heard. Effective methods include active listening, which helps students express their feelings and experiences. Teachers should also develop empathy skills to better understand students' emotions and respond to them appropriately.

It is important to integrate practices that promote emotional intelligence into the classroom, such as group discussions and collaborative projects. This helps students not only interact with each other but also learn to cope with conflict and stress. Regular use of such approaches helps build trusting relationships between teachers and students, which in turn has a positive impact on the learning process and overall well-being of students.

Create a positive classroom climate.

The classroom atmosphere plays a key role in creating a sense of physical and psychological safety in students. In such a supportive environment, children feel confident and are more willing to take risks, which allows them to learn from their mistakes and openly share their thoughts and experiences. It's important to provide students with support to overcome challenges and develop a growth mindset. However, it's worth noting that a recent meta-analysis found that developing a growth mindset does not significantly impact student achievement. This suggests that expectations for this educational approach may be overly optimistic. Building strong teacher-student relationships. The relationship between teachers and students plays a key role in academic success and social-emotional adjustment in the classroom. Therefore, it's essential for teachers to demonstrate caring, attentive, and responsive attitudes, as well as strive to approach each student individually. This approach fosters a comfortable learning environment, increases student motivation, and improves student interaction. Understanding and support from a teacher help students confidently master the material and develop necessary social skills, which in turn has a positive impact on their overall development and academic success.

Build positive student-student relationships.

Teachers need to foster respectful relationships between students to create a classroom atmosphere conducive to communication and collaboration. This not only contributes to the development of social skills but also improves the learning process. Respect and mutual understanding in the classroom play a key role in creating a comfortable educational environment where every student feels valued and heard.

Develop social-emotional skills.

The competencies necessary for successful social-emotional learning are not innate and can be developed. Research on effective educational programs consistently emphasizes the importance of integrating the teaching of these skills. Teachers must develop certain attitudes and behavior patterns in students and teach them to apply these skills in everyday life. Social-emotional learning (SEL) has become a popular approach abroad since its emergence in the 1960s, but it has also faced criticism. It is important to consider both the advantages and disadvantages of this concept in order to create the most effective educational practices.

Reading is an important part of our lives. It not only develops critical thinking but also broadens horizons. A good book can inspire, teach new things, and even change your outlook on life. In the modern world, access to literature has become easier thanks to digital technologies. E-books, audiobooks, and online libraries make it easy for everyone to find interesting works. Reading also improves memory and concentration, helping to enhance cognitive function. Don't forget to devote time to reading—it's not only beneficial but also enjoyable. Support from teachers, family, and peers plays a key role in achieving academic success. By creating a positive classroom atmosphere and offering an individualized approach to each student, teachers foster motivation and interest in learning. Family support, expressed through attention to academic achievement and active participation in the educational process, strengthens the child's confidence and desire to learn. Peers, by providing emotional support and facilitating collaborative learning, create an environment conducive to teamwork and knowledge sharing. All these factors together form a stable foundation for successful learning and personal growth of students.

Developing Interaction in the Classroom

Interaction in the classroom implies active communication between the teacher and students, as well as interaction between the children themselves in the group. The main task of the teacher is to motivate each student to participate equally and actively in the learning process. Effective interaction helps create a comfortable educational environment where each student feels involved and valued. This, in turn, increases the level of assimilation of the material and develops collaboration skills among children.

Teachers can use various practices to improve the effectiveness of teaching. One key method is the use of active learning methods that engage students in the process. It is also worth paying attention to the use of technologies, such as interactive whiteboards and educational platforms, which contribute to better assimilation of the material. It is important to implement a differentiated approach, taking into account the individual characteristics of each student. Regular feedback and support for students will help create a comfortable learning environment. Furthermore, the use of game elements in teaching can significantly increase motivation and interest in the subject. These practices not only improve the quality of education but also promote the development of critical thinking and independent work in students. Asking and answering questions for students. This tool effectively promotes cognitive engagement and active participation of the entire class in the learning process. It is important to ask students a variety of questions, covering both the basics of the topic being studied and those that require analysis, reasoning, and hypothesizing. This approach allows not only to assess the level of understanding of the material but also to follow the students' thought processes. Furthermore, the teacher can encourage students to ask each other questions, which deepens their understanding and develops critical thinking.

Working in pairs or small groups.

Well-organized tasks aimed at group work promote interaction between children through discussions, exchange of ideas, and joint analysis of problems. This helps them strive to achieve a common result. It is important to ensure that all participants in small groups or pairs of students can take turns participating in the discussion, which promotes a deeper understanding of the topic and the development of communication skills.

Whole class discussion.

The exchange of ideas between students plays a vital role in the educational process. Discussing the topic together allows them to interact with different ideas, deepening their understanding of the material. This approach promotes the development of critical thinking and a creative approach to learning, and also builds teamwork skills. By sharing their thoughts, students not only strengthen their knowledge but also learn to respect the opinions of others, which is an important aspect of social competence.

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Organizing group learning can be a challenging task, but with the right approach, you can make the process effective and productive. Here are some tips to help you successfully organize group training.

The first step is to clearly define the goals and objectives of the training. Make sure all participants understand what you want to achieve and what skills or knowledge they should gain as a result. This will help focus on important aspects and increase participant motivation.

The second important point is to choose an appropriate training format. Consider different methods, such as lectures, discussions, practical exercises, or group projects. The choice of format depends on the training goals and the preferences of the participants.

The third tip is to create a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Participants should feel comfortable to freely share their thoughts and experiences. This promotes better interaction and the exchange of ideas.

The fourth step is to actively involve participants. Use interactive methods such as questions, discussions, and group assignments. This not only makes the training more interesting but also helps them better absorb the material.

The fifth tip is to provide regular feedback. Provide opportunities for participants to share their feedback and questions throughout the learning process. This will allow you to adjust your approach and improve the quality of learning.

Finally, don't forget the importance of debriefing. At the end of each lesson, hold a discussion so that participants can evaluate what they have learned and how it can be applied in the future. This will help reinforce the knowledge gained and make the learning process more effective.

By following these guidelines, you can create a successful group study program that will benefit all participants.

Formative Feedback

Formative feedback plays a key role in the educational process, allowing students to monitor their progress and focus their efforts on achieving their goals. Research highlights the positive impact of formative feedback on student achievement, confirming its importance in learning. Effective feedback not only increases motivation but also helps students better understand their strengths and weaknesses, which ultimately leads to improved academic performance.

Teachers can use a variety of methods to effectively address this challenge. These approaches can deepen understanding of the material, develop critical thinking skills, and promote active student engagement in the learning process. It is important to choose methods based on the objectives of the lesson and the student's level. Using interactive methods, such as group discussions and project work, can significantly increase student engagement and improve information retention. It is also worth considering the introduction of technology to make learning more visual and accessible.

Formulating Learning Objectives.

Students should clearly understand what they are expected to achieve during a lesson or series of lessons. Clear learning objectives, communicated to the class orally or in writing, promote better learning. This allows children to understand the skills and knowledge they need to master, which in turn increases their motivation and engagement in the learning process.

Diagnosing Student Progress.

Formative feedback is based on an analysis of each student's progress. A variety of tasks that assess not only the level of assimilation of the educational material, but also reasoning ability and other key skills are effective tools for this. Using such approaches allows for a more accurate determination of which areas require additional attention and promotes a deeper understanding of the subject.

Regular Feedback.

Students are able to achieve their educational goals more easily when they receive regular feedback from teachers and classmates at each stage of their learning. Self-assessment methods, such as questionnaires, are an effective complement to this process, helping students reflect on their achievements and areas for improvement. Regular feedback and self-assessment foster a deeper understanding of the material and increase motivation to learn. Adapting to student thinking. Diagnostic information is a valuable tool for teachers, as it allows them not only to provide feedback to students but also to analyze their reasoning. Understanding students' thought processes helps them adapt learning materials, making them more accessible and understandable. This, in turn, promotes more effective learning. Using diagnostic results in the learning process can significantly improve the quality of education and help students develop critical thinking.

20 Key Teaching Practices

Contents:

Ensuring Cognitive Engagement

Providing Social-Emotional Support

Developing Interaction in the Classroom

Formative Feedback