Pedagogy and Practice: Teaching and Learning in Secondary Schools Unit 16 - Leading in Learning

Leading in Learning refers to a systematic programme for teaching the five National Curriculum thinking skills. It has been developed as part of the Key Stage 3 Strategy’s support for whole-school improvement, and will be available to schools from February 2005. This study unit draws on the Leading in Learning approach. The techniques suggested are tried and tested; they draw on both academic research and the experience of practising teachers. 

By working through this guide, you can build your teaching repertoire step by step, starting with strategies that are easy to implement and moving on to those that will help pupils develop their skills still further. The unit contains ‘reflections’, to help you reflect on an idea or on your own practice, as well as practical tips and tasks to help you consider advice or try out strategies in your classroom. There are case studies to exemplify particular points, a summary of the research and some suggestions for ‘next steps’ and further reading. The final page invites you to reflect on the material and to set your personal targets for the future. 

Contents:

*Introduction
*Making a start
*What is meant by teaching thinking skills?
*Characteristics of higher-order thinking lessons
*National Curriculum thinking skills
*Improving planning and teaching of thinking skills lessons
*Evaluating impact
*Progression
*Summary of research
*Next steps
*Setting future targets