Term 1: Week 10 - EBT and Enduring Myths in Education

I have my qualms with Evidence Based Teaching, given the level of scientific literacy required to properly control variables, avoid confusing correlation with causality and consider the validity of conclusions appropriately. It is, however, one of the only tools we have to separate effective teaching and learning methods from the multitude of well-intentioned-but-ineffective ones. So, while it may have its flaws, EBT remains essential to the pursuit of better teaching. Without EBT we rely on the mythologies of "common sense" and anecdote.

Group Brainstorming and Learning Styles are two examples of false-truths that persist in the educational folklore. For more on these enduring myths, here are a few articles:
"Think You're An Auditory Or Visual Learner? Scientists Say It's Unlikely"

"The Myth of Learning Styles"

"Learning Styles: Concepts and Evidence"
"The Brainstorming Process is BS but can we rework it?"

"Why Brainstorming Doesn't Work"



Where to start with EBT?

Step 1. Find out what the research says:

John Hattie's book, Visible Learning, is a thorough but monotonous, read. The introduction is definitely worth reading and then you can pick the sections that you feel are relevant to your classroom.

Geoff Petty's workshop booklet, kindly made available from modellearning.com is a short, directly-to-the-point read. It covers a lot less, but has some very good advice and resources. Geoff has also written his own books and produced some DVDs. More info on these here.

Robert Marzano's Research: the meta-analysis synthesis report available from his homepage.

Step 2: Implement your own inquiry

Once you seen what the research recommends, then it's time to take on the "Teaching As Inquiry" model from the NZ Curriculum. The success of a teaching strategy depends not only on what is done, but also how it is done. Some strategies will be a better "fit" for some teachers than others. So EBT in your individual classroom is also essential to improve teaching.

Marzano has written a cautionary article about the importance of school-level EBT inquiry processes, called "Setting the Record Straight on "High Yield" Strategies."