Jonnie Noakes, Director of Teaching and Learning Dr Iro Konstantinou, Researcher-in-Residence

1. A multidimensional approach to student engagement: what does the evidence say? Jonnie Noakes, Director of Teaching and Learning Dr Iro Konstantinou, Researcher-in-Residence @eton_cirl

2. The Tony Little Centre for Innovation and Research in Learning Established in 2015 to promote a culture of evidence-informed practice, creative innovation and disciplined enquiry in teaching and learning

8. The challenge “Teaching is so difficult and complex that one lifetime is not enough to master it. All teachers, no matter how experienced, can fail; and all can improve.” Dylan Wiliam, Embedded Formative Assessment (2011)

9. The trouble with learning... “Learning is invisible… Everything we see will only ever be a proxy for learning, but some proxies are better than others.” What might be a good proxy for learning? David Didau (2015)

10. How can we measure learning?

11. Learning versusengagement “Our research shows that students can be busiest and most involved with material they already know. In most of the classrooms we have studied, each student knows about 40-50% of what the teacher is teaching.” Graham Nuthall, The Hidden Lives of Learners (2007). p.24

12. Learning v performance “The goal of instruction is to facilitate learning, which must be inferred at some point after instruction. Learning, however, must be distinguished from performance, which is what can be observed and measured during instruction or training.” Learning vs Performance, Soderstrom & Bjork (2015)

13. Learning as engagement in thinking “Learning happens when people have to think hard. Obviously, this is over-simplistic, vague and not original. But if it helps teachers to ask questions like, ‘Where in this lesson will students have to think hard?’ it may be useful.” Coe, Improving Education (2013)

14. Evidence-informed practice “I think there is a huge prize waiting to be claimed by teachers. By collecting better evidence about what works best, and establishing a culture where this evidence is used as a matter of routine, we can improve outcomes for children, and increase professional independence.” Ben Goldacre(2013)

15. Benefits of evidence-informed practice The creation of more powerful professional development by connecting training to teaching practice Improved teaching techniques Better whole-school decision making Improved outcomes for students (Churches & McAleavy, 2016)

16. Using research and evidence in schools “The use of research and evidence is now positioned as something vital to providing validity to practice.” “Teachers’ engagement with research and evidence, if undertaken in the right way – for example as part of a process of reflective and collaborative professional learning – can not only help teachers improve their practice but can also help the attainment of their pupils.” Chris Brown, Leading the use of Research & Evidence in Schools (2015)

17. Visible Learning, Hattie (2009) Synthesis of 800+ meta-analyses based on 50,000+ studies involving 240+m students Explains the influences on student learning Visible Learning for Teachers, Hattie (2012) Synthesis of 900+ meta-analyses… Explains how to apply the principles of Visible Learning Visible Learning and the Science of How We Learn, Hattie and Yates (2013) Explains the major principles and strategies of learning Visible Learning into Action, Hattie, Masters & Birch(2016) International case studies of success stories based on the principles of Visible Learning

19. The trouble with lists of ‘what works’ Research evidence is problematic: • Evidence can be thin • Contextual factors may be important • Research can be divorced from actual practice Implementation is problematic: • Have we really understood the evidence? • Are we doing it correctly? e.g. knowing that feedback can be effective does not tell us how to give effective feedback (some kinds are detrimental)

21. Evidence for the impact of strategies

22. Predictors of effectiveness •Reviewing previous learning •Setting high expectations •Using high-order questions •Giving feedback to learners •Having deep subject knowledge •Understanding student misconceptions •Managing time and resources •Building relationships of trust and challenge •Dealing with disruption

23. Ineffective practices •Using praise lavishly •Allowing learners to discover ideas themselves •Grouping learners by ability •Encouraging re-reading and highlighting to memorise key ideas •Addressing issues of confidence and low aspirations before trying to teach content •Presenting information to learners in their preferred learning style •Ensuring learners are always active, rather than listening passively, if you want them to remember

24. Barak Rosenshine (2012)

25. ‘The Science of Learning’

26. The social brain

27. Cognitive Science An interdisciplinary field of researchers from psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, computer science, and anthropology who seek to understand the mind and its processes.

28. Daniel Willingham

29. Cognitive psychology ‘Over the past few decades, psychological research has made real strides into understanding how we learn, but it's only in the last few years that education has become aware of these insights... Whilst we cannot and should not relinquish our professional judgement in the face of outlandish claims, we should at least be aware of what scientists have discovered about learning, thinking, motivation, behaviour and assessment.’ Didau, D., and Rose, N. (2016). What Every Teacher Needs to Know about Psychology

30. Theory into practice 18 educational thinkers ‘distil the most up-to-date research into effective classroom practice in 10 important area of teaching’: •Assessment, marking and feedback •Behaviour •Reading and Literacy •SEN •Motivation •Memory and recall •Classroom talk and questioning •Learning myths •Technology •Independent Learning

31. The promise of Edtech Working with start-ups: • A finger on the pulse • Low risk experimentation • Colleagues gain confidence with IT • Suited to small-scale action research Still often more ‘tech’ than ‘ed’

32. Devices, apps and platforms

33. Intellectual engagement: consists of beliefs and values Emotional engagement: consists of motivation and feelings Behavioural engagement: consists of habits and skills Jones, 2008

34. How?

35. Continuous assessment - formative assessment Using the knowledge that many students are ‘assessment-driven’, a low-stakes continuous weekly summative assessment can ensure weekly engagement with the course. Flipped or blended learning Holmes (2017)

36. Show pupils the purpose of their learning Research has shown that if students do not consider a learning activity worthy of their time and effort, they might not engage in a satisfactory way, or may even disengage entirely in response. Show the bigger picture Links between subjects Authentic assessment (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004).

37. Foster competence Researchers have found that effectively performing an activity can positively impact subsequent engagement (Schunk & Mullen, 2012). Differentiate so that all pupils can showcase learning Scaffold activities to avoid pupils seeing tasks as impossible to manage Show works of mastery - pupils want to see what they can aspire to achieve Give feedback which is tailored to the individual and shows clear progression goals

38. Foster autonomy Students are likely to engage when they are given control of their own learning. Shift focus away from giving directives to rewards which are given when pupils make good progress (Reeve et al., 2004). Allow students to contribute to how the lesson looks like: it is fine to diverge from your plans Use language which shows you respect their viewpoints Give the option of how to produce work (essay, video, poster, presentation)

39. Encourage collaboration Pupils tend to work really well with others (Wentzel, 2009). When you structure the teamwork learning in a constructive way it can be very powerful. Foster individual accountability within the group Create groups which ensure that different abilities can work to their full potential Model good behaviour

40. Establish positive relationships This is especially true when you have pupils who might be struggling at home and school is a substitute for those adult relationships (Klem and Connell, 2004). Display positive behaviours yourself Treat students fairly (Pino-James, 2007)

41. A framework for positive relationships Jones, 2008

42. School-wide interventions Klem and Connell (2004) found a positive link with engagement and High standards for academic learning Meaningful and relevant curriculum Professional learning communities among staff Personalised learning environments Similar to that, Jones (2008) shows that: A school-wide culture is important (collective buy-in) Professional development is key in promoting new strategies which are evidenced-based and up to date with new research; teachers need to keep refreshing their skills and understanding of how research works.

43. Promoting good character habits Character education can be a loaded concept but schools which adopt good character habits have been shown to improve student engagement. Some good character habits are: Compassion Courage Honesty Empathy Optimism Respect Trustworthiness Responsibility Schools which adopt a wide-school ethos are more likely to make students feel belonging and want to be part of this community. All the above can be showcased and practised in the classroom.

44. Supportive behaviours Showing respect “Being there” for students and frequent contact Active listening One-on-one communication Encouraging students to express opinions Avoiding “put-downs” Writing encouraging notes Students praising peers Displaying students’ work Identifying unique talents and strengths Exhibiting enthusiasm Using positive humour Serving as a role model Celebrating accomplishments Jones, 2008

45. Supportive initiatives Social activities to start the year Team building Mentoring Rewards, recognition, incentives Student advocacy Advisory programmes Peer mediation Students as teachers Character education Parent partnerships Business-community partnerships Service learning/community service Extracurricular and co-curricular activities Sports programs Jones, 2008

46. Payne, 2019

47. Flow theory. Flow theory as conceptualised by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi suggests that concentration, interest and enjoyment need to be in balance to promote student success. Flow is a state of deep absorption in an activity which is intrinsically enjoyable, such as when athletes or artists are engaged in their activities. The activity then becomes enjoyable and successful and and the activity is worth doing for its own sake, even if no further goal is achieved. The activity itself is the reward. The flow experience is believed to occur when one’s skills are neither overmatched nor underutilised to meet a given challenge. When this experience is disrupted students might experience apathy or stress. Issuing appropriate challenges and providing opportunities to enhance skills (e.g. providing immediate feedback and incrementally teaching more complex skills ) can be a way to engage students. Shernoff, et al. 2003

48. What are pupils saying? Student choice: allow for creativity Working with peers Connecting their learning to the real world (e.g. problem-based learning) Variety of activities

49. Empirical research at Eton What we did. 144 boys across the year groups Looking into the various theories we compiled a list of what factors can contribute to engagement

50. Results Definitions of engagement. Most boys struggled to provide a clear definition