Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement 
asked by ozone on November 14, 2006 6:59 AM
What works in education? How do we know? How can teachers find out? How can educational research find its way into the classroom? How can we apply it to help our individual students? Questions like these arise in most schools, and busy educators often don't have time to find the answers. Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, and Jane E. Pollock have examined decades of research findings to distill the results into nine broad teaching strategies that have positive effects on student learning:
* Identifying similarities and differences.
* Summarizing and note taking.
* Reinforcing effort and providing recognition.
* Homework and practice.
* Nonlinguistic representations.
* Cooperative learning.
* Setting objectives and providing feedback.
* Generating and testing hypotheses.
* Questions, cues, and advance organizers.
This list is not new. But what is surprising is finding out what a big difference it makes, for example, when students learn how to take good notes, work in groups, and use graphic organizers. The authors provide statistical effect sizes and show how these translate into percentile gains for students, for each strategy. And each chapter presents extended classroom examples of teachers and students in action; models of successful instruction; and many "frames," rubrics, organizers, and charts to help teachers plan and implement the strategies.
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***THE FOLLOWING REVIEW IS FOR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL EDUCATORS***
Research points out that 75% of those who go into teaching are systematic learners, and then teach systematically, while 75% of students (and the rest of us) are not systematic learners. Systematic teachers are those who will teach you how to ride a bike by first making you sit as they describe the parts and how they work together...that's fine for 25% of students but most of us just need to get on the bike and ride it...from the experience of riding the bike we then have a purposeful framework for...ta da...later systematic instruction...what am I trying to say? This book is "instructional heroin" for systematic teachers...perfect for the suburbs where children have the schema to automatically make connections between concepts...but, from what I've experienced, falls short in an at-risk school.
One perfect example is the section on discovery teaching. It states that there isn't research to back up its superiority as an approach...that's not true...and that it's "time consuming". Well...no...it actually saves time if done correctly...because it will not take the time direct teaching requires to "pound a concept into a child's head" as procedure...it fits brain research as applied to at-risk kids who desperately need to think, and move, and discover...it combines numerous curriculum indicators into meaningful systems...but, most importantly, places new information within a purposeful, motivating environment.
On the upside, Chapter 6 regarding "Non-linguistic" representations is superb...my only problem is that it doesn't address the value of graphic organizers for younger learners as opposed to the older learner...there's plenty of research pointing out the uselessness and/or overuse of graphic organizers in the younger grades...they're great tools...if introduced at the right time/age and with purpose! Unfortunately, I can see teachers in grades pre-k through 3 forcing children to create graphic organizers as a result of this book...yikes!
Ya have to be careful as we found out with NCLB and the research on reading...research can be spun to fit different purposes...especially educational research...if this info. fits your view and you're living in an area where kids have the advantages of a stable home and people talking with them from birth...go for it...for the rest of us...borrow it from the library (my copy was never checked out in three years! - telling)...and then return it.
There's an old saying that teachers very often "efficiently solve the wrong problem"...it's not about efficiency folks...it's about effectiveness. If you apply the ideas in this book blindly without regard to student background or age...you may be doing more harm than good.
Research points out that 75% of those who go into teaching are systematic learners, and then teach systematically, while 75% of students (and the rest of us) are not systematic learners. Systematic teachers are those who will teach you how to ride a bike by first making you sit as they describe the parts and how they work together...that's fine for 25% of students but most of us just need to get on the bike and ride it...from the experience of riding the bike we then have a purposeful framework for...ta da...later systematic instruction...what am I trying to say? This book is "instructional heroin" for systematic teachers...perfect for the suburbs where children have the schema to automatically make connections between concepts...but, from what I've experienced, falls short in an at-risk school.
One perfect example is the section on discovery teaching. It states that there isn't research to back up its superiority as an approach...that's not true...and that it's "time consuming". Well...no...it actually saves time if done correctly...because it will not take the time direct teaching requires to "pound a concept into a child's head" as procedure...it fits brain research as applied to at-risk kids who desperately need to think, and move, and discover...it combines numerous curriculum indicators into meaningful systems...but, most importantly, places new information within a purposeful, motivating environment.
On the upside, Chapter 6 regarding "Non-linguistic" representations is superb...my only problem is that it doesn't address the value of graphic organizers for younger learners as opposed to the older learner...there's plenty of research pointing out the uselessness and/or overuse of graphic organizers in the younger grades...they're great tools...if introduced at the right time/age and with purpose! Unfortunately, I can see teachers in grades pre-k through 3 forcing children to create graphic organizers as a result of this book...yikes!
Ya have to be careful as we found out with NCLB and the research on reading...research can be spun to fit different purposes...especially educational research...if this info. fits your view and you're living in an area where kids have the advantages of a stable home and people talking with them from birth...go for it...for the rest of us...borrow it from the library (my copy was never checked out in three years! - telling)...and then return it.
There's an old saying that teachers very often "efficiently solve the wrong problem"...it's not about efficiency folks...it's about effectiveness. If you apply the ideas in this book blindly without regard to student background or age...you may be doing more harm than good.
reviewed by stonefox on November 25, 2006 5:47 PM
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I can't add much to what is already written here. But I must say, these teaching approaches work. The authors back up every method with careful research. Best of all, the methods are described specifically.
There are too many high points to list them all. Here are just three things I especially liked:
1. The explanation of the effects of massed v. distributed practice.
2. Chapter 12 on how to USE the approaches in planning.
3. The Types of Word Problems diagram in Chapter 11. If you teach math above the second grade level, this matrix is in itself almost worth the price of the book.
If you are serious about results from your students, this book is a great tool.
There are too many high points to list them all. Here are just three things I especially liked:
1. The explanation of the effects of massed v. distributed practice.
2. Chapter 12 on how to USE the approaches in planning.
3. The Types of Word Problems diagram in Chapter 11. If you teach math above the second grade level, this matrix is in itself almost worth the price of the book.
If you are serious about results from your students, this book is a great tool.
reviewed by smiling on November 25, 2006 7:31 PM