Designing the curriculum to enable learners to commit to their learning

What do want to achieve?

We want many more young people who are engaged,

motivated and committed to their learning because they…

• are excited and inspired by learning and want to get involved with it

• are successful learners in that they know how to learn• are confident enough to persist with learning even when

it seems too hard or uninteresting• have aspirations to succeed and achieve high-quality

outcomes and high standards

What do we want to achieve?

We want fewer learners who are…

• Disenchanted – they can’t see the point of what they are being asked to learn and do. It doesn’t reflect their interests, specialisms or needs

• Disengaged – they are switched off from learning and try to avoid getting involved often because they see themselves as failures

• Disappeared – around 450,000 learners are absent from school each day – often because they don’t like the experiences they have there

• Disappointed – they go to school but are bored by the work and don’t feel they are achieving as much as they could

What helps young people commit to learning?

• Belief by everyone that commitment is more important than ‘talent’

• Teachers who build good relationships

• School recognition of effort and hard work

• Approaches to learning that involve students

• Support at a variety of stages

• Schools using peer pressure in a positive way

• Good focused family support for learning

• A good programme of personal skills

• Use of inspirational figures

• Good assessment that supports learning

Beliefs can have a negative effect on commitment to learning...

• Carol Dweck has identified growth and fixed mindsets

• Most learning takes place in schools

• Learning is just about assessment

• Learners with fixed mindsets already have a picture of what they can do and tend to avoid anything outside what they believe they can do

• The lack of connection with the world outside schools leads to a belief that learning is both irrelevant or unsustainable

• The belief that learning is what is measured, judged or tested by others limits commitment

It’s attitude not aptitude that causes failureHaving a Commitment to Learning is one of the major reasons why people succeed

many students don’t achieve what they are capable of

many adults look back on school as a time of underachievement

‘I don’t know what career I want, but I do know what sort of person I want to be’

‘I want to choose who to learn with and how I learn’

‘Relationships are very important in the learning. I want teachers to show me respect’

‘I have started at a new school and its very different. I am more motivated because of my time with cadets’

“They have to answer your questions, have high expectations but also scaffold your work.”

The influence of teachers on learners’ commitment

“I want teachers to listen, not be patronising . I want teachers you can talk to and who can control the class.”

“Teachers have to be enthusiastic and try to motivate you and make things relevant.”

Teachers and relationships with teachers are important

What can you do to ensure teachers have a positive impact on commitment?

• provide training for teachers about how to motivate learners

• train teachers in building learning relationships with learners

• design your timetable so that teachers can build relationships....more frequent contact for longer periods of time

• build in time for people to get to know each other… summer camps / team building

• design rooms for good relationships

• support teachers in developing emotional intelligence

The impact of recognition on commitment

“You need people to give you genuine praise.”

Parents and teachers should recognise learners’ personal growth and development.

“We hate it:- when we can’t see the big

picture or why you are learning something.”

- if you can’t see any progress and sense of improvement.”

- if people put you down - it takes away all your

motivation”

Young people need their diverse interests, specialisms and needs recognised. They need to be valued for who they are more, or as much as what they do and achieve

Seeing the big picture supports commitmentEnsure all students:

• see the purpose of learning – it makes sense to them

• identify transferable skills – it connects with other learning

• can see how the learning relates to business skills, community skills – is useful to their present and future lives

• have the opportunity to apply skills to ‘real’ situations – is part of the real world for them

Valid recognition supports commitmentCommitment to learning is supported when a learner

• gets deserved and authentic praise for their effort and attitude as well as their achievement

• has their work marked regularly and in a positive way

• receives recognition for who they are and what they achieve outside of school as well as in school

It is also very powerful if parents are given the chance to celebrate their children’s attitude and effort and well as their achievements

Use approaches to learning that increase learners’ commitment

“We want to take more responsibility in planning our learning.... We want to co-construct our activities. We want teachers to connect learning to life outside school.”

‘I want to choose who to learn with and how to learn and different ways of learning.’

“Sometimes when you have a lesson that is just copying or listening, you just switch off and wait till the next lesson.”

“You need to believe that you can be or become a successful learner.”

“Teachers need to set things up for you to learn rather than tell you the answers.”

“We want to see that we are developing as people and have that assessed. I want to know that my personal qualities are improving.”

Design the Learning to support commitmentApproaches to designing the learning:

• write the teaching/learning policy with learners to ensure it is relevant and coherent and meets their diverse interests, specialisms and needs

• make sure lessons are an appropriate length for learning

• encourage co-construction of the learning where learners have a say in what to learn next and how to learn it

• be aware of what they really learn and have already learnt and build on it

Support

“You often don’t have an idea of a future career but you do know what sort of person you want to be...”

“You need someone who can talk to you about learning and coach you in work.”

“You should have the opportunity to be involved in the world of work and see universities and places of work.”

“You need support for your time management and to help you prioritise and see your development.”

“Sometimes you feel as though you have no one to fight your case or take up your cause.”

‘You have someone who you could talk to if things were difficult but you need someone who will be your champion whatever happens’

How can you provide support in your school?Ensure:

• each student has a person who is their champion

• all staff support learning

• out of hours activity is supportive of learning and is not just activity

• you focus on the development of students as people

• you provide careers education that does not confuse students who have no clear idea of their career

• work experience takes students beyond their comfort zone and family experience

• all your students get opportunity to visit universities and places of work

• PLTs are an important part of what you want your learners to achieve

Make positive use of peer group pressure to develop commitment

“Commitment can be undermined if people make fun of you or if you are bullied.”

Schools need to use peer group pressure and push students into supporting each other because deep down all want to do well.

Your friends can be supportive if the school is open and teachers encourage peer assessment and team work

“If you have responsibility at home you can take a role in school of supporting your friends more seriously.”

“You need to recognise who in your friends have certain skills that can support you.”

“Teachers have to create an atmosphere in the classroom where we can all support each other.”

Make positive use of peer group pressure

• ensure all students have the opportunity for self and peer assessment

• remind students of their responsibility to support each other to do well

• create a team ethos in the school and classrooms

• acknowledge the responsibility many students have out of school and let them take the same level of responsibility in school

• acknowledge the individual strengths and skills of different students and show you value them equally

Family support

“Parents often don’t know how to support you..... Schools should have lessons for parents.”

“Sometimes parents put too much pressure on you because they did not do well at school.”

“Mum used to say,’ do your best’ but that wasn’t much use. I did not now how to do my best. “

There should be clear opportunities for parents to be more involved not just in school, but in learning .. People believe that teenagers don’t want parents involved but when you do well they are the people you want to tell.

“Sometimes your Mum and Dad have higher expectations than the school.”

“I feel sorry for kids who do not have parents who can give them a lift or take them to places to help their learning.”

Involve families in learning increases commitment

• ensure all families know how to be involved in learning

• have joint learning sessions with parent / child in the same class

• have a bring your parent to school day

• let parents into school for learning as well as reporting

Personal skills

“Schools need to encourage students to develop these skills.”

“Fear of failure is something that helps you but also makes you feel panic.”

“If you have failed in the past you feel as though you will always fail.”

“Ability to focus is important.”

“You have to be brave.”

“You need trust in the school and at home.”

“You want to see that you are improving as a person.”

“You need time to do the things that you are good at so you can build your confidence.”

“It is easier to commit to learning if you have developed confidence, self belief and will power. You need to be ‘inner cocky’.”

Schools should assess pupils in their personal learning and thinking skills and show what are the next steps to develop those skills.

Inspiration

- You need examples of success in your family and from sport and life

- Schools should highlight past students who have done well

- If no one in your family has done well at school it is very difficult to do well

- You need to develop a sense of what sort of person you want to be

- You need stories and pictures to inspire you

Inspire your students

• use learning heroes in school

• make students aware of each member of staff’s commitment to learning

• use past students who have had success to come and talk to students or tell the story of their success on the school website

• in assemblies and lessons use inspirational figures

• offer adults in our community the opportunity to re enter education

Create an environment to have a positive effect on learning

Ensure:

• the school has clear inspirational messages on posters screen savers etc

• students have a clear idea of what learning looks like in your school

• the building is welcoming and inspiring

• the equipment is fit for purpose to support learning and commitment

Build an ethos of commitment

• build an ethos that is aspirational and supportive of students – expect your learners to achieve and support them to do their best

• listen to how students feel about school and their learning - and take action on their comments and suggestions

• ensure students are deeply involved in the school and have a say in how it is run

Assessment

Learners want assessment to be ongoing and part of the learning process. They want to be involved in it.

They want tests to be at the point when they feel ready to be tested.

Learners think assessment is important!!

They want to be clear about what is being tested and how well they are doing

Use approaches to assessment that build commitment to learning

Learners are keen to be assessed and it helps their commitment to learning if…

• they need to know the purpose of assessment

• they receive feedback on their work very quickly

• they have the detail of what they need to do to get the next level

• can be assessed when they are ready

• they choose the type of assessment

• they can undertake peer and self assessment has a positive effect on commitment