Teachers use a learning theory as a resource for planning and carrying out their teaching of a difficult concept¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · 3 claims (3 for) · 1 study (1 causal), q3 · 0 of 1 report an effect size · 3 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The strategy has a group of experienced teachers take a learning theory as a resource when planning and carrying out their teaching of a specific difficult concept. In the study, "A group of experienced secondary school teachers used a novel learning theory as a resource for planning and carrying out their teaching of a difficult economic concept." The theory-guided planning shaped what varied and what remained invariant across a series of three lessons, and was contrasted with teaching planned without the theory.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A group of experienced teachers with access to a learning theory relevant to the object of learning, and time to plan a lesson series collaboratively around it.

Constraints¶

• The article demonstrates the strategy for one difficult economic concept taught over three lessons in secondary school classrooms.

Target Learners¶

• secondary school students

Target Learning Goals¶

• mastery of a difficult economic concept

Affordances¶

• Variation Theory Necessary Pattern Variation Invariance

Claims¶

• Bringing out the necessary pattern of variation and invariance in the learning situation enhances the likelihood that the object of learning is appropriated [+W]
• Classroom observations revealed subtle but decisive teaching differences correlated with the difference in learning outcomes [+W]
• Students taught by teachers using variation theory showed extremely better mastery of the supply-and-demand price concept than students taught without the theory [+W]

Related Strategies¶

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Ming-fai Pang, Ference Marton. (2005). Learning Theory as Teaching Resource: Enhancing Students' Understanding of Economic Concepts. Instructional Science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-005-2811-0