Productive pedagogy


A new approach to teaching is reassembling familiar classroom techniques into a workable model that focuses on high quality student learning and improved outcomes.

Every few years, a new way of thinking is thrust upon teachers as the Next Big Thing in learning and development. Think Bloom's Taxonomy, de Bono's Six Thinking Hats or Gardner's multiple intelligence approach. However, the latest approach to catch the attention of educators is not really new at all. There are no new theories to learn or strange concepts to grapple with.

Instead, Productive Pedagogy pays simultaneous attention to already existing aspects of classroom practice and focuses teachers back on the vital elements of student learning. Professor Jenny Gore, from the University of Newcastle, says, 'Productive Pedagogy draws teachers' attention to what really matters in helping kids to learn. In the past we've put too much emphasis on things like the learning environment, specific skills, the syllabus and all of the details that add up to teaching. But we have tended to lose sight of the big picture - a focus on challenging, intellectually demanding learning for all students.

'That's why Productive Pedagogy is different from other approaches. It's very comprehensive and doesn't focus on just one aspect of teaching. It requires attention to many essential aspects of classroom teaching.'

These aspects are divided into four 'dimensions':
Intellectual quality
Relevance (or connectedness)
Socially supportive classroom environment
Recognition of difference.
In essence, Productive Pedagogy takes existing techniques and learning concepts, and groups them into this simple model. Explained this simply, Productive Pedagogy almost seems too basic to have any real effect. However, it is the measurement and evaluation of these factors, combined with the increased awareness of teachers of the most effective techniques that contributes to the program's success.

Enhancing intellectual quality involves recognising that knowledge isn't a fixed body of information. It encourages students in higher-order thinking and has a problematic approach to knowledge which involves communicating ideas and arguments as opposed to a 'give' approach. 'It's about getting students to do learning work rather than busy work,' says Jenny, 'but most of all it's about engaging students in big ideas and complex understandings.'

Relevance (or connectedness) is simply helping students to make connections between different aspects of school learning as well as connections to their past experiences and the world beyond the classroom.

A socially supportive classroom environment is one where students are able to influence activities and how they are implemented. It also involves a high degree of self-regulation by students.

It's about making sure the classroom supports learning,' says Jenny. 'It's not just making it a warm, happy place to be, but an environment that has high expectations of students and which encourages them to take risks in learning.'

Recognition of difference encompasses inclusivity of non-dominant groups, and positively developing and recognising differences and group identities. 'Here, it's important to be conscious of ways teachers can support students who come from non-dominant groups, to be aware of how to best support their learning.'

The Productive Pedagogy program was initially developed by the Queensland School Reform Longitudinal Study, a team that was led by Dr James Ladwig and included Professor Jenny Gore from the University of Newcastle.

The four dimensions above cover the core framework of the Productive Pedagogy approach, but Jenny emphasises that it connects with many other frameworks. 'It is not some weird 'out there' new way of thinking. There is an incredible amount of overlap with other frameworks. But what Productive Pedagogy does - which the others don't - is bring the concern of equity back together with the concerns of quality.

'If you look at other approaches, some of the dimensions are there. But the 'recognition of difference' dimension is usually not present in other models. Nor is the intellectual quality dimension as refined.'

Although the initial research was done in Queensland, two NSW schools took part in a study with the University of Newcastle last year. Since then, various primary and secondary schools in the state have begun to introduce aspects of the program. Some principals and teachers are adopting the approach gradually, focusing on one aspect at a time, while other schools have embraced the whole concept resulting in more radical change.

Kootingal Public School and Callaghan College's Waratah Campus took part in the study last year. It was initially aimed at investigating the value of Productive Pedagogy as a model for the professional development of practising teachers. However, the results have been more far-reaching.

Teachers who participated in the study were observed up to five times by a member of the research team. An observation tool - much like a scoring sheet evaluating the various components of the four dimensions - helped to determine the strengths and weaknesses in each area.

Kootingal Principal Ben van Aanholt says: 'After our first series of observations, feedback indicated that we were very strong in the area of a socially supportive classroom environment, but that we could improve in some of the areas in the other three dimensions. After a series of professional development activities, further observations indicated that we we had substantially improved in those areas and that the level of pedagogy in our school in all four areas is particularly strong.

'Although we don't have quantitative results on students' outcomes yet, there has definitely been an increased awareness of what exactly contributes to Productive Pedagogy. Teachers are now more familiar with what they need to provide in terms of quality teaching and learning environments. With further professional development, we will be able to put more effective strategies into place.'

Principal of Callaghan College's Waratah Campus Robyn Cragg says participating in the study also increased their awareness of the four dimensions, particularly in the area of intellectual quality.

'We've now rewritten our assessment tasks so they are based on higher order thinking and deep knowledge and understanding,' she says. 'Being part of the study was very eye-opening. We realised that some of our teaching and assessment practices didn't line up. We were teaching one thing and assessing another. Now we've adjusted our approach quite radically.'

In fact, Waratah has embraced the four dimensions to such an extent they have restructured the school's strategic plan around them. 'Our BST and ELLA results have lifted and there has been an overall improvement in results,' says Robyn. 'Equally important is the improvement we've seen in our attendance levels and our suspension rate has been dramatically reduced.'

One of the practical projects Waratah implemented has been the introduction of portfolio assessments for every student. Each student accumulates progressive on-going work throughout the year - on paper and in digital form. Furthermore, each faculty produces a different schedule of assessment tasks and then use the Productive Pedagogy tools to see if the tasks are appropriate.

'We're emphasising being creative, cooperative, working academically and being aware of the community and life-long learning. Now, students place their portfolio work under one of those headings - it no longer comes under English, maths, history, or whatever. They need to recognise the relevance of their learning.

'At the end of the year, all students do 15-minute presentations of their work at a round table involving younger peers, parents and teachers, explaining what they have learnt. It's been very successful. Students have pursued teachers to find out if their work has been marked. In the past, students would get their assessment tasks back and it would go into the wardrobe or the bin and never be seen again. This approach means they reflect on their learning.'

Robyn emphasises that the program is one of a number of initiatives the school has adopted in its restructured strategic plan, but the Productive Pedagogy approach incorporates many concepts into a single user-friendly framework.

'Every single thing in Productive Pedagogy has been around for years, there's nothing new with this, but it synthesises everything and integrates them all.'

Principal of Auburn Girls High School Brian Ralph says they have adopted a less radical approach. The school is one of four in the Granville District which is involved in action research which can draw Productive Pedagogy, an initiative which only started over a year ago.

The four dimensions are further subdivided into 20 different elements. Rather than tackle all aspects of the program at once - and try to include all four dimensions into classroom practice at the one time - they have decided to focus on each of the dimensions separately, before bringing them together as an integrated teaching approach.

'Teachers meet in professional learning groups to explore each dimension and will introduce them one by one,' says Brian. 'We're encouraging teachers to experiment with their teaching in the classroom and have professional dialogue with their colleagues about this. It is our intention that it will change their way of thinking and develop their awareness. We are introducing our teachers to individual elements and groups of elements and then asking them to implement, reflect and report back in a collegial and non-threatening way.'

Whatever implementation approach is used, James Ladwig confirms the Queensland studies, as well as studies of Authentic Pedagogy in the US (which prefaced Productive Pedagogy in Australia), point to positive outcomes. James Ladwig says: 'The research shows convincingly there is a strong link between Productive Pedagogy and student outcomes, regardless of whether they are measured and if they are, whether this is through standardised tests or school assessment tasks.

'Productive Pedagogy reassembles our understanding of what good teaching is and changes the emphasis from issues we've concentrated on in the past - the processes and techniques of the classroom, which are important, but not ends in themselves. It captures the essence of what is really important - a focus on student learning that's of high intellectual quality.'

The four dimensions of Productive Pedagogy

Intellectual Quality

Higher order thinking
Deep knowledge
Deep understanding
Substantive conversation
Knowledge as problematic
Metalanguage
Relevance (Connectedness)

Connectedness to the world
Problem-based curriculum
Knowledge integration
Background knowledge
Social Support

Student control
Student support
Engagement
Self-regulation
Explicit criteria
Recognition of difference

Cultural knowledges
Inclusivity
Narrative
Group identity
Citizenship