Most conversations about school improvement revolve around technology, infrastructure, and curricula. Many of them, however, eventually arrive at the same place: the classroom. Curricula can be redesigned, timetables restructured, and new technologies introduced, but learning ultimately happens in the daily interactions between teachers and students.
What makes those interactions effective is not subject to content expertise alone. It is pedagogy, the professional craft of turning knowledge into learning. Pedagogy is not simply an innate gift; it is a set of skills that can be identified, practiced and strengthened over time.
What Makes Great Teaching?
Before exploring the skills teachers need, it is important to begin with one fundamental question: what is great teaching? Great teaching is teaching that leads to improved student progress, measured by outcomes that matter for students’ future success (Coe et al., 2014).
While effective teaching is not always easy to define, student progress provides an important measure of its impact. This shifts the focus from how teaching looks to what it achieves. A lesson may appear lively and well organised, but its effectiveness ultimately depends on whether students learn, understand or strengthen their knowledge and develop new skills.
Research backed Pedagogical Skills every teacher Needs
If student progress is the measure of great teaching, which skills help teachers achieve it? Coe et al. (2014) identify six key pedagogical skills that can contribute to effective teaching. Each of these skills can be learned, practised and strengthened over time.
1
Content Knowledge
2
Quality of Instruction
3
Classroom Climate
4
Classroom Management
5
Teacher Beliefs About Learning
6
Professional Behaviours
01
Content Knowledge and Knowing How Students Learn It
Effective teachers have a deep understanding of the subjects they teach and how students learn those subjects. They anticipate common misconceptions, recognise the reasoning behind incorrect answers, and choose explanations that help students understand concepts more clearly.
This is one of the two teaching skills for which Coe et al. (2014) report the strongest evidence of impact. When a teacher’s subject knowledge falls below a certain level, it can become a significant barrier to student learning.
02
Delivering High-Quality Instruction
High-quality instruction is the second teaching skill for which Coe et al. (2014) report strong evidence of impact. In practice, effective instruction involves carefully structuring lessons, explaining concepts clearly, checking students’ understanding and providing appropriate support. Rosenshine (2012) highlights several practices that support effective instruction:
10 Principles of Effective Instruction
1
Begin lessons with a short review of previous learning.
6
Think aloud and model steps to make the process explicit
2
Present new material in small steps, with opportunities for students to practise after each step.
7
Demonstrate tasks using worked examples before asking students to attempt them independently.
3
Give clear and detailed instructions and explanations.
8
Monitor students when they begin independent practice.
4
Use multiple examples to illustrate concepts.
9
Provide temporary support for challenging tasks, and gradually reduce it as students gain confidence.
5
Ask questions frequently and check all students’ responses.
10
Ask students to explain what they have learned before moving on, and revisit key ideas regularly.
Adapted from Rosenshine (2012)
Strong instruction also relies on formative assessment, which involves gathering information about students’ learning during lessons and using it to adjust teaching and support student learning (Black & Wiliam, 1998).
03
Creating a Positive Classroom Climate
Students are more likely to learn effectively when they feel both challenged and valued. Effective teachers set high expectations, build positive relationships with students, and consistently reinforce their sense of self-worth while recognising their effort and persistence.
04
Classroom Management
High-quality instruction is the second teaching skill for which Coe et al. (2014) report strong evidence of impact. In practice, effective instruction involves carefully structuring lessons, explaining concepts clearly, checking students’ understanding and providing appropriate support. Rosenshine (2012) highlights several practices that support effective instruction:
05
Teacher Beliefs About Learning
Teachers’ beliefs about how learning takes place influence the choices they make in the classroom. For instance, a teacher who believes students learn by actively engaging with ideas will plan lessons differently from one who views learning primarily as listening and memorizing. Effective teachers understand why they choose a particular approach, what it is intended to achieve, and how it supports their students’ learning (Coe et al., 2014).
06
Acting as a Reflective Professional
Effective teachers view their practice as an ongoing process of learning and improvement. They reflect on their lessons, engage in professional development, collaborate with colleagues and communicate with parents. Their own well-being also matters. Teachers who remain committed to their work, reflect on their behaviour and manage the demands of teaching effectively, are better positioned to support student learning (Kunter et al., 2013).
A Shared Responsibility for Better Teaching
These six skills are not fixed traits that some people possess and others lack. They can be learned and strengthened through practice, feedback and reflection, one lesson at a time.
For school leaders, these skills offer a framework for observing, discussing and developing teaching across the school. Making pedagogy a focus of classroom observations, creating opportunities for teachers to plan and practice together, and encouraging regular reflection are practical ways to put these skills into action.
Structured professional development also plays an important role in helping teachers strengthen these skills. Initiatives such as the six-month Certified Teacher Development Course, offered by ClassEdge Academy in partnership with Tata STRIVE, combine hands-on workshops, weekly micro-learning and live sessions to help teachers strengthen their pedagogical practice. Its focus areas include active lesson design, differentiation, formative assessment and reflective practice.
If student progress is the measure of great teaching, investing in teachers’ pedagogical skills is one meaningful way schools can strengthen student learning.
References
- Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Assessment and classroom learning. Assessment in Education: Principles, Policy & Practice, 5(1), 7–74.
- Coe, R., Aloisi, C., Higgins, S., & Major, L. E. (2014). What makes great teaching? Review of the underpinning research. Sutton Trust.
- Kunter, M., Klusmann, U., Baumert, J., Richter, D., Voss, T., & Hachfeld, A. (2013). Professional competence of teachers: Effects on instructional quality and student development. Journal of Educational Psychology, 105(3), 805–820.
- Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of instruction: Research-based strategies that all teachers should know. American Educator, 36(1), 12–19, 39.
