Learning about teaching: new findings from the Global Teacher InSights Policy Report
16 November 2020
The OECD has just launched its Global Teacher InSights Policy Report, featuring new findings on the teaching of mathematics in secondary schools around the world. We are delighted that Education Development Trust has contributed to this innovative study, leading the study in England in partnership with the University of Oxford, on behalf of the Department for Education in England.
The Global Teacher InSights policy report, which documents findings from the TALIS Video Study, is an exciting new source of information on the teaching of secondary school mathematics in eight participating countries and economies: Biobío, Metropolitana and Valparaíso (Chile), Colombia, England (UK), Germany1, Kumagaya, Shizuoka and Toda (Japan), Madrid (Spain), Mexico, and Shanghai (China). The study was designed to deepen the collective understanding of the factors that lead to better student outcomes, identifying what works in classroom teaching, and providing a detailed assessment of how classroom activities differ across different geographies and jurisdictions. Data was collected in the academic year 2017-18.
This was a truly innovative study, making extensive use of video to capture data about classroom practices, as a means of observing and documenting how teachers from the participating countries teach. The videos were analysed alongside tests, questionnaires and teaching materials to inform an understanding of which aspects of teaching are related to student learning and student non-cognitive outcomes (such as self-efficacy and their interest in the subject), and to explore how teaching practices are interrelated, and how cultural aspects of teaching relate to student and teacher characteristics. It also makes interesting observations about the use of technology in creating opportunities for students to learn.
OECD’s Global Teacher InSights policy report is available here. We are pleased to present findings for England in a series of additional reports, listed below, which can be downloaded here.
In addition to the reports, we have produced two short videos on the study. The first video (click here to view) features team members from Education Development Trust, the University of Oxford and OECD, explaining the intention of the study, the approaches taken and some of the key findings in more detail. They also reflect on how teachers and schools can use the study findings and reports to rethink how observation can be used to explore teaching in school settings – and how the use of video can assist this process. The second video (click here to view) outlines specific considerations for filming in classrooms in the interest of better understanding teaching practices.
You can access the various reports as below via OECD and Department for Education:
OECD:
- Global Teaching Insights: Policy Report
- Global Teaching Insights: Technical Report
Department for Education:
- TALIS Video Study: National Report
- TALIS Video Study: Technical Report
- TALIS Video Study: Case studies of mathematics teaching practices
- TALIS Video Study: National Summary Report
- TALIS Video Study: International Summary Report
- TALIS Video Study and Professional Development