Sharing Good Practice
2 . Rich and extended talk and cognitive discourse
The importance of questions and questioning in effective learning is well understood , but the importance of depth and complexity of questioning is perhaps less known about . When you plan purposeful , stimulating and probing questions , it gives pupils the freedom to develop their thought processes and challenge , engage and deepen their understanding . Initially the teacher may ask questions , but when you model high-order questioning techniques to pupils they , in turn , can ask questions which expose new ways of thinking .
This so-called ' dialogic teaching ' frames teaching and learning within the perspective of pupils and enhances learning by encouraging children to develop their thinking and use their understanding to support their learning . Initially , pupils might use the knowledge the teacher has given them , but once shown how to use classroom discourse effectively , they ' ll start to work alone , with others or the teacher , to extend their repertoire .
By using an enquiry-orientated approach , you can more actively engage children in the production of meaning and acquisition of new knowledge and your classroom will become a more interactive and language-rich learning domain where children can increase their fluency , retrieval and application of knowledge .
3 . Curriculum organisation and design
If teachers can understand and deliver this curriculum using their subject knowledge and pedagogical skills , and if the school can successfully make learning visible to pupils , teachers will be able to move from well-practised routines which are designed and controlled by the teacher to highly successful and challenging learning experiences .
Bringing it all together : recasting the roles of teacher and learner
Successful schools bring together these three areas in a coherent way , complemented by a school and classroom climate designed to promote and support educational excellence , high achievement and a shared understanding among teachers .
To move beyond the traditional monologic and didactic models of teaching , we need to recast the role of teacher as a facilitator of learning within a supportive learning environment . For more able pupils this can be taken a step further . If you can build cognitive challenge into your curriculum and the way you manage learning , and support this with a languagerich classroom , the entire nature of teaching and learning can change . Your highly able pupils will become increasingly autonomous and more self-reliant . They ' ll become masters of their learning as they gain a deeper understanding of the subject matter . You can then extend the teacher ' s role even further , from learning facilitator to ' learner activator '.
What next for the project ?
As we move into the new academic year , NACE is extending the project to focus on two distinct aspects . The first focus will be on using assessment in the cognitively challenging classroom , exploring questions such as who assessment is for , how it fits within cognitively challenging learning , how to develop effective assessment practices , and what we need to rethink about assessment . The second focus builds on the importance of rich and extended talk and cognitive discourse , and further examines oracy and linguistics in the context of the classroom .
Challenge Award-accredited schools will again be invited to participate , alongside a review of related research and current discussion in these fields . Key findings will be published as a series of short reports and CPD materials throughout and at the end of the year . Additional research strands are also being explored through the NACE R & D Hubs – including a focus on curriculum design and pedagogy for cognitive challenge and perfectionism .
NACE membership and the NACE Challenge Development Programme , which can lead to Challenge Award accreditation , are open to schools worldwide : www . nace . co . uk / international
Find out more at www . nace . co . uk / research and sign up for regular free updates : www . nace . co . uk / sign-up
Schools with a high-quality cognitively challenging curriculum use agreed teaching approaches and a wholeschool model for teaching and learning . In addition , teachers expertly and consistently utilise key features relating to learning preferences , knowledge acquisition and memory .
When planning a curriculum for more able pupils it is necessary to think beyond individual subjects , assessment systems , pedagogy and extracurricular opportunities , and to look more deeply at the ways in which these link together for the benefit of pupils .
Special back-to-school offer for Teach Middle East Magazine readers : purchase the NACE publication “ Cognitive challenge : principles into practice ” with shipping outside the UK for just £ 14 ( usually £ 16 ). Enter discount code TEACH-ME when purchasing the report from the NACE website by 30 September 2021 .
Lowe , H . and McCarthy , A . ( 2020 ) Making space for able learners – Cognitive challenge : principles into practice . NACE . Available at www . nace . co . uk / making-space
Dr Ann McCarthy is NACE Research and Development Director and coauthor of the NACE publication “ Cognitive Challenge : Principles into Practice ”, available via the NACE website . She has over 40 years ’ experience in primary and secondary teaching and leadership , and until recently was Education Director for a multi-academy trust .
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