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Much research has been conducted over the past thirty years that has led to a greater understanding of how the brain navigates the complexities of everyday learning. This new information has led to an explosion of learning theories, some of which are directly supported by research findings while others are not. Educators need to be cognizant of the fact that there is new, valid information, and that utilizing research-based instructional practices in their teaching can affect the learning of their students. Most teachers are already utilizing many of the researched-based practices that are known to increase learning. Effective teachers have always known that what they do as a teacher makes a difference in what their students do as learners. The goal then should be to systematically and cognitively apply effective instructional strategies to our everyday lesson design and delivery.
In Effective Teaching Principles and the Design of Quality Tools for Teachers, Ellis, Worthington, and Larkin of the University of Alabama, present ten principles that draw from both the teacher-centered behavioral approach and student-centered cognitive approach. Although no one principle can be used effectively in isolation, addressing these in lesson design would be beneficial to the learning process. The Ten Effective Teaching Principles are:
- Students learn more when they are actively engaged during an instructional task.
- High and moderate success rates are correlated positively with student learning outcomes, and low success rates are correlated negatively with student learning outcomes.
- Increased opportunity to learn content is correlated positively with increased student learning achievement; therefore, the more content covered, the greater the potential for student learning.
- Students achieve more in classes in which they spend much of their time being directly taught or supervised by their teacher.
- Students can become independent, self-regulated learners through instruction that is deliberately and carefully scaffolded.
- The critical forms of knowledge associated with strategic learning are (a) declarative knowledge, (b) procedural knowledge, and (c) conditional knowledge. Each of these must be addressed if students are to become independent, self-regulated learners.
- Learning is increased when teaching is presented in a manner that assists students in organizing, storing, and retrieving knowledge.
- Students can become more independent, self-regulated learners through strategic learning.
- Students can become more independent, self-regulated learners through instruction that is explicit.
- By teaching sameness both within and across subjects, teachers promote the ability of students to access potentially relevant knowledge in novel problem-solving situations.
One research group that has been at the forefront of research in learning strategies for students with learning disabilities is the Center for Research and Learning at the University of Kansas. They have designed effective learning strategies to assist students with the tasks of acquiring, retaining, and using knowledge. Their Learning Strategies Curriculum focus of direct, explicit instruction to help students become strategic learners, and the Content Enhancement Series provide teachers with structures to provide effective instruction to all students.
Students with disabilities need the most effective instruction that teachers can provide. Instruction needs to be tailored to their individual needs, and should contain components of research-based effective instruction. Other strategies that have been shown to be most effective for students with disabilities are: mnemonic training, reading comprehension instruction, behavior modification, and direct instruction.
Educators need to remain alert to the research that is continually providing effective, useful strategies to increase their repertoire of instructional skills.
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