Quality Teaching in NSW Schools: Intellectual Quality

Mathematics Education (Signadou)

Quality Teaching in NSW Schools:

INTELLECTUAL QUALITY

© 2003 NSW DET

Intellectual Quality refers to pedagogy focused on producing deep understanding of important, substantive concepts, skills and ideas. Such pedagogy treats knowledge as something that requires active construction and requires students to engage in higher-order thinking and to communicate substantively about what they are learning.

Deep knowledge 1.
Almost all of the content knowledge of the lesson is shallow because it does not deal with significant concepts or ideas. 2.
Some key concepts and ideas are mentioned or covered by the teacher or students, but only at a superficial level. 3.
Knowledge is treated unevenly during instruction. A significant idea may be addressed as part of the lesson, but in general the focus on key concepts and ideas is not sustained throughout the lesson. 4.
Most of the content knowledge of the lesson is deep. Sustained focus on central concepts or ideas is occasionally interrupted by superficial or unrelated ideas or concepts. 5.
Knowledge is deep because focus is sustained on key ideas or concepts throughout the lesson.

Deep understanding 1.
Students demonstrate only shallow understanding. 2.
For most students, understanding is shallow during most of the lesson, with one or two minor exceptions. 3.
Deep understanding is uneven. Students demonstrate both shallow and deeper understanding at different points in the lesson. A central concept understood by some students may not be understood by other students. 4.
Most students provide information, arguments or reasoning that demonstrates deep understanding for a substantial portion of the lesson. 5.
Almost all students demonstrate deep understanding throughout the lesson.

Problematic knowledge 1.
All knowledge is presented only as fact and not open to question. 2.
Some knowledge is treated as open to multiple perspectives. 3.
Knowledge is treated as open to multiple perspectives, seen as socially constructed and therefore open to question. 4.
Knowledge is seen as socially constructed and multiple perspectives are not only presented, but are explored through questioning of their basic assumptions. 5.
Knowledge is seen as socially constructed, with multiple and/or conflicting interpretations, presented and explored to an extent that a judgement is made about the appropriateness of an interpretation in a given context.

Higher-order thinking 1.
Students demonstrate only lower-order thinking. They either receive or recite prespecified knowledge or participate in routine practice, and in no activities during the lesson do students go beyond simple reproduction of knowledge. 2.
Students primarily demonstrate lower-order thinking, but at some point, at least some of the students perform higher-order thinking as a minor diversion within the lesson. 3.
Students primarily demonstrate routine lower-order thinking a good share of the lesson. There is at least one significant activity in which most students perform some higher-order thinking. 4.
Most students demonstrate higher-order thinking in at least one major activity that occupies a substantial portion of the lesson. 5.
All students, almost all of the time, demonstrate higher-order thinking.

Metalanguage 1.
No metalanguage. The lesson proceeds without the teacher or students stopping to comment on the language being used. 2.
Low metalanguage. During the lesson terminology is explained or either the teacher or students stop to make value judgements or comment on language. There is, however, no clarification or assistance provided regarding the language. 3.
Some use of metalanguage. At the beginning of the lesson or at some key juncture, the teacher or students stop and explain or conduct a "mini-lesson" on some aspect of language, e.g. genre, vocabulary, signs or symbols. 4.
Periodic use of metalanguage. The teacher or students provide commentary on aspects of language at several points during the lesson. 5.
High use of metalanguage. The lesson proceeds with frequent commentary on language use.

Substantive communication 1.
Almost no substantive communication occurs during the lesson. 2.
Substantive communication among students and/or between teacher and students occurs briefly. 3.
Substantive communication among students and/or between teacher and students occurs occasionally and involves at least two sustained interactions. 4.
Substantive communication, with sustained interactions, occurs over approximately half the lesson with teacher and/or students scaffolding the conversation. 5.
Substantive communication, with sustained interactions, occurs throughout the lesson, with teacher and/or students scaffolding the communication.

These materials are drawn from A Classroom Practice Guide, © State of NSW Department of Education and Training Professional Support and Curriculum Directorate, 2003. They are provided here for personal study only.

How do I recognise Quality Teaching?

Stephen Mark ARNOLD

Room 206 Phone 02 62091142

Deep knowledge	1. Almost all of the content knowledge of the lesson is shallow because it does not deal with significant concepts or ideas.	2. Some key concepts and ideas are mentioned or covered by the teacher or students, but only at a superficial level.	3. Knowledge is treated unevenly during instruction. A significant idea may be addressed as part of the lesson, but in general the focus on key concepts and ideas is not sustained throughout the lesson.	4. Most of the content knowledge of the lesson is deep. Sustained focus on central concepts or ideas is occasionally interrupted by superficial or unrelated ideas or concepts.	5. Knowledge is deep because focus is sustained on key ideas or concepts throughout the lesson.
Deep understanding	1. Students demonstrate only shallow understanding.	2. For most students, understanding is shallow during most of the lesson, with one or two minor exceptions.	3. Deep understanding is uneven. Students demonstrate both shallow and deeper understanding at different points in the lesson. A central concept understood by some students may not be understood by other students.	4. Most students provide information, arguments or reasoning that demonstrates deep understanding for a substantial portion of the lesson.	5. Almost all students demonstrate deep understanding throughout the lesson.
Problematic knowledge	1. All knowledge is presented only as fact and not open to question.	2. Some knowledge is treated as open to multiple perspectives.	3. Knowledge is treated as open to multiple perspectives, seen as socially constructed and therefore open to question.	4. Knowledge is seen as socially constructed and multiple perspectives are not only presented, but are explored through questioning of their basic assumptions.	5. Knowledge is seen as socially constructed, with multiple and/or conflicting interpretations, presented and explored to an extent that a judgement is made about the appropriateness of an interpretation in a given context.
Higher-order thinking	1. Students demonstrate only lower-order thinking. They either receive or recite prespecified knowledge or participate in routine practice, and in no activities during the lesson do students go beyond simple reproduction of knowledge.	2. Students primarily demonstrate lower-order thinking, but at some point, at least some of the students perform higher-order thinking as a minor diversion within the lesson.	3. Students primarily demonstrate routine lower-order thinking a good share of the lesson. There is at least one significant activity in which most students perform some higher-order thinking.	4. Most students demonstrate higher-order thinking in at least one major activity that occupies a substantial portion of the lesson.	5. All students, almost all of the time, demonstrate higher-order thinking.
Metalanguage	1. No metalanguage. The lesson proceeds without the teacher or students stopping to comment on the language being used.	2. Low metalanguage. During the lesson terminology is explained or either the teacher or students stop to make value judgements or comment on language. There is, however, no clarification or assistance provided regarding the language.	3. Some use of metalanguage. At the beginning of the lesson or at some key juncture, the teacher or students stop and explain or conduct a "mini-lesson" on some aspect of language, e.g. genre, vocabulary, signs or symbols.	4. Periodic use of metalanguage. The teacher or students provide commentary on aspects of language at several points during the lesson.	5. High use of metalanguage. The lesson proceeds with frequent commentary on language use.
Substantive communication	1. Almost no substantive communication occurs during the lesson.	2. Substantive communication among students and/or between teacher and students occurs briefly.	3. Substantive communication among students and/or between teacher and students occurs occasionally and involves at least two sustained interactions.	4. Substantive communication, with sustained interactions, occurs over approximately half the lesson with teacher and/or students scaffolding the conversation.	5. Substantive communication, with sustained interactions, occurs throughout the lesson, with teacher and/or students scaffolding the communication.