This study, by the University of Bristol, sheds new light on the fascinating and elusive question: what makes an effective teacher? Researchers have identified which teaching practices drive up exam results and how different class activities work better depending on the subject.
This project demonstrates the feasibility of measuring each individual teacher’s practices and effectiveness, which can then inform individualised decisions about where to devote scarce time and energy.
The team of international researchers analysed around 14,000 GCSE results of pupils from 32 secondary schools across the UK, comparing the scores to classroom observation reports spanning two years just before the COVID-19 pandemic on 251 teachers from the same schools.
The research showed that how teachers used class time had a significant impact on their pupils’ results. In fact, typical variations in class activities between teachers accounted for around a third of the total influence of teachers on the GCSE marks of their pupils.
Highly-rated teachers were also shown to have a greater impact on lower-achieving pupils than higher achievers, a finding with implications for how schools should deploy their most effective teachers.