Until relatively recently, advice for teaching focused primarily on performance, with a view that progress would be made by pupils at the same speed if they received high quality, structured teaching. In 2004, education policies changed in the UK with a shift towards personalised learning. Research suggests that levels of effective learning are determined by a learner’s experience, character, personal interest and motivation level (Pollard, 2008, p. 171).
‘Learning’ can be influenced by many different factors, one of which is the child’s cognitive and emotional capacity to learn. When a child enters your classroom they bring with them everything else they have got going on in their lives (Parker et al. 1999). Sometimes, these external factors can prevent a child from learning to a certain extent. Certain classroom factors will be key to encouraging and enabling learning in a classroom: personalised learning (Pollard, 2008 p. 175), direct experience where possible (Piaget 1976) and a safe stable environment in which a child feels that they can learn, make mistakes, ask questions and seek advice (McBer 2001). If these elements can be created in your classroom, the children in it will be in a much better position to learn and develop in their school environment (McBer, 2001; Rimm-Kaufman & Sawyer 2004). Research also suggests that not only does this need to take place in individual classrooms but it should be a ‘whole school approach’. By setting high behaviour expectations, having strong support networks and an inclusive supportive environment, children will be encouraged and feel safe and cared for as they develop (Sugai & Horner 2002).
Piaget is a Constructivist, he claims that there are 4 stages of development during childhood (1976), and that children are able to learn and understand more complex concepts gradually as they develop. Piaget has been an influential researcher in child development.
Piaget: Developmental Stages
http://faculty.plattsburgh.edu/william.gaeddert/classes/101ovds/m13-1c.htm
In Piaget’s first three stages he emphasizes that direct experience is vital for learning (Pollard, 2008, p. 175). If this is the case then primary school teachers need to include direct experience as much as possible in the classroom. For me, I feel that Piaget’s theory, although useful as an overall guide, is over simplified and leaves us with low expectations of children’s capabilities, this is a risk for teachers. The Teachers Standards 2012 states that teachers must set high expectations, which inspire motive and challenge pupils (Teachers Standards, 2012). If teachers believe that children under 12 years cannot understand abstract concepts and need to have direct experience to understand something, they may be at risk of over simplifying concepts and not stretching pupils to their full potential.
Social Constructivist approach takes a less rigid view to this; central to social constructivism is the concept of a child’s zone of proximal development (ZPD). The ZPD, coined by Vygotsky (1978), is defined as “the distance between the actual development of the child as determined through problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers” (p. 86). This suggests that children have high potential capability, and a teacher’s job is to know the next stages of learning, and the level of support needed to help the child bridge the gap between their current knowledge or understanding, and the next, more complex level of understanding. To me the ability of more capable peers to do this is support for the use of mixed ability groups in schools. When directing pupils to work with peers, having mixed ability grouping would help the pupils who may be struggling with a concept to understand it.
This video summarises research conducted at Oxford Brookes university into child development. It looks at some ways that different aspects of child development can be measured and monitored. The outcomes of the research is focused on supporting children who are not developing at the same rate, or in the same way, as their peers. This may be useful for teachers to understand the types of research and support available, as well as to draw attention to the different areas of child development they should be aware of.
This Child Development Chart created by Frontline provides a succinct over-view of the average child’s stages of development. Teachers need to be aware of the developmental stage a child should be at, in order for you to identify when a child is not developing as they should be. If you are teaching and are concerned about the development of a pupil in your class, always seek advice from the school’s SENCO.
Development is a very broad term and there will be lots of different types of development happening all the time in a classroom: physical, emotional and cognitive development amongst others. In order for children to develop they need to be taught to think about their feelings, emotions, behaviours, and about the way in which these can impact other people. Circle time is a tool used by many class teachers to allow time to have these important conversations and to keep you as the teacher aware of your pupil’s emotional, social and cognitive developments. Below are some effective circle time ideas that teachers may want to use to gain a better understanding of their pupil’s development and to encourage their pupils to seek advice and speak about their feelings.
CIRCLE TIME GAMES:
Cross the circle if…You’re wearing red You have a pet You had breakfast today You could say something nice about someone else in this circle. |
Memory name game…“My name is Ben, I like Biology” “His name is Ben, he likes Biology” etc. “His name is Ben, he likes Biology, her name is Mary, she likes Mangos, and my name is Jack and I like Judo”. |
Introductions…Speak to the people either side of you and find out two things that they like and one thing that they don’t like (give them some examples so you don’t get “pizza, chocolate, sprouts”. Go round the circle and introduce one another. Include yourself and go first to model, especially with KS1. |
Classroom scenarios…Give a scenario or make up a short story that includes something relevant to that class that you want them to think about, be it bullying, distracting people in lessons etc. Talk about how you could deal with this with the people either side of you. Feedback to circle. |
Finish the sentence…My favourite book is… My favourite season is… I like it when my friends… It annoys me when people…. |
Open discussion…One pupil speaks about anything they want advice on. You ask questions if necessary to clarify what they mean. The rest of the class offer suggestions. E.g. “I get really angry when I don’t get the answers right in maths and I don’t want to get angry in school”. |
References:
Department for Education (2012) Teachers’ Standards.
McBer, H. (2001) Research into teacher effectiveness, Early Professional Development Of Teachers, p. 68.
Parker, F. L, Boak, A. Y, Griffin, K. W, Ripple, C, & Peay, L (1999) Parent-child relationship, home learning environment, and school readiness. School Psychology Review.
Piaget, J (1976) Piaget’s theory, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, p. 11-23.
Pollard, A. (2008) Reflective Teaching (3rd edition), London: Continuum, p. 182.
Rimm-Kaufman, S, E.& Sawyer, B. E. (2004) Primary-grade teachers’ self-efficacy beliefs, attitudes toward teaching, and discipline and teaching practice priorities in relation to the” responsive classroom” approach, The Elementary School Journal, p. 321-341.
Sugai, G, & Horner, R (2002) The evolution of discipline practices: School-wide positive behavior supports, Child & Family Behavior Therapy, 24, 1-2, p. 23-50.
Vygotsky, L, S (1978) Mind in society: The development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Child Development 