In this short paper, part of the CST ‘A Bridge to the Future’ series, we offer a view of school improvement as deliberate and intentional knowledge building.
We make four propositions:
- The goal is for every teacher in every classroom to be as good as they can be in what they teach (the curriculum) and how they teach (pedagogy).
- For this to happen, we need to mobilise for every teacher the best evidence from research.
- There is no improvement for pupils without improvement in teaching, and no improvement in teaching without the best professional development for teachers.
- Strong structures (in groups of schools) can facilitate better professional development and thus better teaching and improvement for pupils.
This is not to dismiss the procedural processes of building capacity, undertaking a forensic analysis of need, supporting and deploying leadership, providing access to effective practice and monitoring improvements in the quality of provision. Indeed, these are essential. But without the intentional practice of knowledge building, improvement is not sustainable. It may not result in an enduring change in practice.
Discussion paper
Assessment
Curriculum
Knowledge building
Pedagogy
Professional development
School improvement at scale
