Embedding, spreading and sustaining AfL: 12 messages from the Learning How to Learn project

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Embedding, spreading and sustaining AfL 12
messages from the Learning How to Learn project
Professor Mary James (Project Director) Institute
of Education, University of London

• Learning How to Learn
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The LHTL Project (2001-2005)
A project involving the University of Cambridge,
Kings College London, Open University,
University of Reading and the Institute of
Education. Collaboration with 5 LEAS, 1 VEAZ, 40
infants, primary and secondary schools, c1500
teachers, c20,000 pupils.

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The research team

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How can assessment for learning can be developed
into a model of learning how to learn and
embedded in classrooms, without intense outside
support?What conditions in schools and networks
support the creation and spread of such knowledge
and practices?
Key research questions

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Development- Whole-school input- Audit and
action planning- Workshops and school
improvement tools- Data feedback - Critical
friendship and network meetingsResearch-
questionnaire, interview, observation, documents,
performance data- quantitative and qualitative-
whole sample surveys, longitudinal analysis and
case studies
Development Research

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What we found out the results of our reading,
research and thinking

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Not quite the same as independent learning
which focuses on the individual Autonomous
learning applies to groups as well as to
individuals Autonomous learners take
responsibility for their learning and develop
strategies that enable them to learn both on
their own and collaboratively.
Message 1 Learning autonomy is the ultimate goal
of AfL and LHTL

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Learning Autonomy (outcome)Learning How to
Learn (activity) Assessment for Learning
(tools)

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Focus on practices that enable learners to
reflect upon, and understand, their own learning
processes and develop ways of regulating them.
Closely linked with the content of what is
being learned May look different in different
subject contexts
Message 2 AfL (and LHTL) is about developing
learning practices

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AfL practices (such as sharing learning
intentions and success criteria, comment-only
marking, peer and self-assessment) should serve
underlying principles, such as making learning
explicit and promoting learning autonomyThey
cease to be formative if they fail to do this
(some forms of traffic lights have become
summative assessment scoring systems)
Message 3 Practices should serve underlying
principles

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Teachers appreciate practical strategies but
they can become mechanistic and ritualised
Practices and beliefs are interrelated and need
to be developed together so that teachers can
know what to do when they dont know what to
doHigh organization based on ideas (Dewey)
is central
Message 4 The spirit of AfL and LHTL is more
important than the letter

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Lesson A the letter of AfLTeacher models given
criteria through correcting textTeacher checks
answers with whole classPupils correct one
anothers work using the criteriaLesson B the
spirit of AfLTeacher and LSA perform poemPupils
asked to critique performanceClass draw up a
list of criteria guided by teacherPupils perform
poems based on criteriaPupils peer assess
initial performances of poem
Illustration Two English Lessons

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The most successful teachers (c20) had a
capacity for strategic and reflective thinking
and concentrated on how they could improve the
learning experience for pupils. They did not
blame external circumstances or pupil
characteristics (innate ability or attitudes)
Message 5 Successful AfL teachers take
responsibility for what happens in their
classrooms

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Frans reflection The idea is that sometimes you
prepare the lesson, which isnt appropriate for
the pupils. Its over their heads, or its too
easy, and that sometimes prevents learning from
taking place, or meaningful learningYou might be
able to control the situations so that they
complete the task but they havent actually
learnt anything because its too complicated and
they didnt get the hang of it, or it was too
easy and it was something they could dash off.

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Angelas reflection If Ive taught a lesson,
then Ill go over it, reflect, think, what could
I do better next time? ..Sometimes its just a
thought and sometimes I actually kind of go back
over the scheme of work, look at the lesson plan
and write notes to myself for next time. So it
depends on what it is really and how severely bad
it went.

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Evidence of a constraining performance
cultureWe coded transcriptions of 37 interviews
with classroom teachersOf 16 major coding
categories , one was performance orientation
(140 quotes) and another was barriers to pupil
learning (366 quotes)When these two categories
coincided we found three sub-categories
curriculum coverage, national testing and
tick box culture

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A 2002 survey of 1212 staff showed that they did
less promotion of learning autonomy than they
would have liked and more performance orientated
practice than they thought important By 2004
these gaps had closed somewhat
Message 6 Most teachers hold positive
educational values but struggle to close
values-practice gaps

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Closing the gapChanges in teachers classroom
practices, 2002-2004
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Different groups of staff within schools have
different configurations of values and
practicesIn secondary schools subject
differences are markedThere are also
differences between schools and sectors
Message 7 Within and between school differences
indicate a need for differentiated CPD

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Closing the gap in secondary schoolsChanges in
subject teachers classroom practices, 2002-2004
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Classroom-based collaborative inquiry for
teacher learning emerged as a key influence on
teachers capacity to promote learning autonomy
with their pupilsThis includes learning from
research and also working together to plan, try
out and evaluate new ideas
Message 8 Classroom inquiry is a key influence

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School conditions that support LHTL in classrooms
Developing a sense of where we are going
Making learning explicit
Promoting learning autonomy
Supporting professional development
Inquiry
Performance orientation
Auditing expertise and supporting networking
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Teachers create and spread new practice
knowledge through networking within and across
schoolsNot much evidence (yet) of ICT use for
this purposeFace-to-face meetings builds the
social capital needed for the exchange of
intellectual capitalEven weak links can have
positive impact
Message 9 Networking builds the social capital
for spreading innovation

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Schools need to audit expertise and support
networkingThis needs to be done with a sense of
purposeQuality of leadership is crucial at
every level
Message 10 Opportunities for teachers to learn
through inquiry depends on organisational
structures and cultures

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This includes encouraging dialogue, dissent and
risk-takingCombines culture and structure
Takes time and is on-goingInvolves leading,
modelling, brokerage, bridging, mediation
Message 11 Challenge for leadership is to create
space and climate for reflection and sharing

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Double loop learning at school level i.e.
stepping back from the plan-do-review cycle to
examine it before stepping back in to do
something new, reflects collaborative
strategic and reflective inquiry for teacher
learning, which reflectsdeveloping learning
autonomy, through LHTL using AfL, by pupils
Message 12 Pupil learning, teacher learning and
organisational learning are mirror reflections of
one another

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James, M., et al. (2006) Learning How to Learn
tools for schools (London, Routledge).James,
M., et al. (2007) Improving Learning How to Learn
in classrooms, schools and networks (London
Routledge).Research Papers in Education 21(2),
June 2006 (Special Issue devoted to the LHTL
project) http//www.learntolearn.ac.ukhttp//ww
w.tlrp.org
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