Defining High Quality Teaching and Learning Report

DEFINING HIGH QUALITY TEACHING & LEARNING A THEMATIC REPORT WITH REFLECTIONS FROM OUR GLOBAL COMMUNITY

yo disfruto de…

‫في رأيي‬

I believe...

我相信 ...é importante

In Their Own Words

FOREWORD FROM OUR STUDENT AMBASSADOR I’m Freddie and I’m a Year 9 Senior Ambassador at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai and I am so proud to receive the honour and privilege of writing this foreword. I have been studying at RGSGD for two years and I will be among the first cohort to sit the GCSE examinations at this school in 2029.

Freddie Student at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai

When I was asked to participate in this study, I eagerly accepted the opportunity, as I truly value and appreciate the excellent teaching I receive at RGSGD, and I wanted to share my thoughts on this topic. Alongside my family, my teachers have played the most significant role in shaping the person I am today. They have sparked my passion for learning. I wanted to share my experiences of what makes my teachers so brilliant and how they make their lessons engaging and productive.

For the study, Olivia, Sasha and I were interviewed by a representative from Cognita.

We were given the opportunity to reflect on and explain what high quality teaching and learning means to us as students and we were able to honestly and openly express our views on this topic.

For me, the most important thing that makes a great teacher is the student-teacher relationship. I believe this to be integral to successful learning and teaching because if a teacher knows their students well, the learning will be personalised. This allows the teacher to focus on the areas of development whilst not spending too much time going over points that the students already know.

Lastly, I would like to thank Cognita for all the effort they have put into this report and I hope that you find the contents useful and are able to implement some of its findings into your teaching. Happy reading!

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A NOTE FROM OUR AUTHORS It was an honour to write the first In Their Own Words report, exploring with Cognita senior and student leaders what great teaching and learning looks like. The report reflects that whilst pedagogical approaches, curricula and school characteristics may differ around the world, what really makes a difference to young people does not – high quality teaching that engages and inspires students, fostering a lifelong love of learning.

Kristie Overton Head of Group Education Insight and Projects

At Cognita, we champion that the young people in our schools are key change-makers, whose insights should inform each school’s journey. It is for this reason that we have started our Cognita Voices series – to inspire educators around the world to get students talking about their educational experience and to provide them with the platform and opportunities to have an impact.

At Cognita we are constantly seeking to ensure that we are ‘evidence-based’ in our work. For us, this means that we take evidence from two sources. We look external to Cognita, constantly scanning the horizon for the most credible evidence that has the greatest promise. Alongside, we also take evidence from within our global organisation; listening to our students, educators and parents – they share rich perspectives.

Simon Camby Group Chief Education Officer

I wish to pay credit to the many students and colleagues that generously gave their time to support with the evidence gathering for this thematic report. For sure, we are stronger together and know that the ‘call to action’ points will support schools in their ongoing self-evaluation and being ‘the best at getting better’.

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INTRODUCTION

Members of the Cognita community are privileged with regular opportunities to share learning between contexts, countries and even continents. This ensures that as a community, we are able to continually learn from leading educational practices and thinking from around the world. ​ The diversity of our community puts us in a unique position to provide a truly global view on important topics in education, such as how to define High Quality Teaching and Learning (HQTL). ​ In this report, we explore the perceptions of Cognita students and educational leaders from 14 countries regarding their definition of HQTL. This report sits as part of Cognita’s wider commitment to ensuring that student voice sits at the very heart of our work.​ The structure of the report is as follows:​ Introduction​ Section 1: Examples of leading research​ Section 2: Insights from Cognita Educational Leaders​ Section 3: Insights from Cognita Student Leaders​ Summary​ All insights in this report were shared during the period between September 2024 and November 2024.

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SECTION 1 Examples of leading research​ At Cognita, we continually recognise and celebrate impactful teaching that accelerates students’ learning and progress, with a commitment to sharing leading practices both within and between individual schools.

Within Cognita, we are intentionally evidence-led.

We have used this approach to create organisation-wide documents and frameworks to help members of our community to easily recognise and celebrate High Quality Teaching and Learning in the classroom. Information from three examples of evidence we have closely used is outlined below. Within the summary section of this report, we will consider how the views of Cognita students’ and educational leaders connected with these examples of leading research.

Example 1: Great Teaching Toolkit, Evidence Based Education​ When developing their ‘Great Teaching Toolkit¹, Evidence Based Education ‘reviewed existing research studies and frameworks’ and identified four priorities for teachers who want to help their students learn more. These priorities are as follows:​

Understand the content they are teaching and how it is learnt​ Create a supportive environment for learning Manage the classroom to maximise the opportunity to learn Present content, activities and interactions that activates their students’ thinking

1.Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, Evidence Based Education (2020)

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Example 2: Schools+ Pedagogical Taxonomy, OECD Through the development of their Schools+ Pedagogical Taxonomy², the OECD has aimed to develop a framework for discussing and evaluating teaching that is appropriate for all global contexts. Their taxonomy aims to capture ‘core practices of teaching’ in place around the world and sets out five key areas of importance for students’ learning outcomes:​ Classroom interaction

Social-emotional support

Formative assessment & feedback​

Cognitive engagement

Quality of subject matter

Example 3: Teaching for how students learn: A model of learning and teaching, Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO)​ As part of their work to define a model of learning and teaching, AERO³ reinforced that teaching practices that are aligned with how students learn are the most effective in improving learning outcomes.

Consequently, the organisation have developed a teaching model that relates directly to how students learn. The four main areas of effective teaching within this model are:​ Enabling Fostering the conditions of a learning-focused environment (including through cultural safety)​

Planning Developing a teaching and learning plan for the knowledge students will acquire (including through planning to assess)​

Instruction Managing the cognitive load of learning tasks (including through supporting tiered interventions)​

Gradual release Maximising retention, consolidation and application of learning (including through extend and challenge)

2. Public Consultation on the Schools+ Pedagogical Taxonomy, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Schools+ (2023)​ 3. Teaching for how students learn: A model of learning and teaching, Australian Education Research Organisation (2023)

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As educators, we are aware that a plethora of varying definitions of HQTL are used around the world, the majority of which we do not have scope to cover in this report. We have therefore intentionally selected three examples of research that are context-agnostic and globally relevant to reference within this report. At Cognita we acknowledge that whilst definitions of HQTL are important, we feel that getting people talking about what high quality teaching and learning looks like with sufficient regularity and sufficient voices involved (including students’ voices) should in itself support teaching and learning to continually improve in schools around the world.

In this inaugural report, we are proud to champion the importance of these conversations, including getting students talking about quality teaching and the impact on their own learning.

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SECTION 2 Insights from Cognita Educational Leaders As part of the research process for this report, Senior Leaders from throughout the Cognita community were asked a single, very important question - How do you define High Quality Teaching & Learning at your school?

In response to this question a wealth of definitions and insights were shared by our Senior Leaders from around the world.

These insights are shaped by their own personal experiences, the jurisdictions that they work within and the context of their school (e.g. demographics, curricula and values).

Within our 20+ definitions, there was universal agreement that at a foundational level teaching and learning must be student-centric to be deemed ‘High Quality’. That is, the learning experience in a school needs to be wholly focused on what is right for the students in the school’s care to be ‘High Quality’.

Colleagues cited that a student-centric approach demands a commitment to student voice, student wellbeing and supporting students to take ownership of their own learning. The universal agreement in this respect is reflective of the fact all Cognita schools are united by a global purpose of supporting their students to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.​

There was universal agreement that at a foundational level teaching and learning must be student-centric to be deemed ‘High Quality’.

Linked to this, a number of school leaders referenced that HQTL requires active student participation, with students having autonomy over their learning and showing ‘agency’ by making ‘choices’ and sharing their ‘voices’ to shape their learning experience¹. One school leader suggested that student voice should ‘dominate classroom instruction’², with intentional strategies and regular opportunities for students to impact their learning. Cognita schools throughout Asia referenced their use of ‘inquiry-based learning experiences’³ as a vehicle for driving active student participation and agency in the classroom.​ 1. Sanchita Raha, Principal, CHIREC International School, India​ 2. Matt Mills, Superintendent, Stamford American International School, Singapore 3. Tosca Killoran, Deputy Head of School, International School Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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Disfruto...

I believe...

我们应该... É importante...

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VOICES 8

Additionally, all school leaders also cited that inclusive, adaptive teaching that facilitates effective learning for all students is a key characteristic of HQTL. Specific references to the importance of ‘differentiation’ and ‘personalisation’ in the classroom were shared by many leaders. To facilitate inclusive, adaptive teaching colleagues referenced the need for teachers to establish a ‘deep awareness of each student’s abilities, talents and needs’⁴, to inform their adaptations.

Regularly assessing students’ needs, a dedication to relationship-building and a carefully planned ‘induction’ period for each class, were referenced as supportive methods for teachers to ensure that all students can access the curriculum, learn effectively and be challenged. A number of schools went further on this point, noting that a plethora of different strategies and varied activities should be employed in each classroom, as a ‘means for adaptation’⁵.

All school leaders cited that inclusive, adaptive teaching that facilitates effective learning for all students is a key characteristic of HQTL Many school leaders also referenced that HQTL necessitates the existence of a supportive learning environment, built on trust and mutual respect between all parties. An environment with these characteristics, where strong relationships exist between students and teachers, has the foundations of a ‘safe’ environment for learning, where students feel able to be ‘courageous in their approach to learning’⁶.

School leaders also highlighted that establishing an effective and continuous feedback stream, which is informed by regular assessment opportunities, is another important element of HQTL. Leaders cited that a carefully planned approach to assessment and feedback ‘promotes students’ autonomy and agency’⁷ over their learning, ‘informs the direction of instruction and supports continuous student growth’⁸. Further exploration regarding students’ views on the importance of regular assessment will occur in Section 3.​

>50% Over half of school leaders also signposted that HQTL includes ensuring that all students are exposed to an ‘intellectually ambitious curriculum’⁹ with regular opportunities for stretch and challenge. Colleagues at the Australian International School, Singapore aptly noted that all students should be taken on a ‘personally challenging learning journey’10 in school. ​Certain school leaders expanded on this point, noting that opportunities for challenge should be complemented by a culture of high expectations and a commitment to instilling a life-long love of learning amongst students. In Cognita schools around the world, talented teachers make this possible through modelling their own life-long love of learning and employing a growth mindset each day.

4. Paola Garcia, Director of Education – Redcol Schools, Colombia 5. Matt Mills, Superintendent, Stamford American International School, Singapore 6. Timothy Swan, Director of Teaching and Learning, Stamford American School, Hong Kong 7. Claudia Baquedano, Director of Education (Dunalastair Schools and San Francisco Javier Huechuraba), Chile 8. Timothy Swan, Director of Teaching and Learning, Stamford American School, Hong Kong 9. Karen Nicholson, Headteacher, Breaside School, United Kingdom 10. Karrie Dietz, Head of School, Australian International School, Singapore​

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Echoed by our student leaders (as will be explored in Section 3), Cognita senior leaders felt that establishing a highly collaborative learning environment also contributes to the delivery of HQTL. Leaders reflected on the fact that facilitating regular collaboration between students assists with both the learning process and preparing students for their futures and the world of work.

The following elements were also explicitly referenced as key to HQTL by a handful of schools:​ Digital Technology that is woven into the learning process 11​ Providing a multilingual learning environment12 Establishing school-wide learning habits (or behaviours) to provide a common language for discussing learning​ A focus on students’ metacognition13 and offering sensory learning experiences which engage both the body and mind 11. When reviewing responses to this question, it was inferred that many schools consider digital technology to be an important ‘enabler for learning’, rather than a defining feature of HQTL​ 12. From reviewing leaders’ insights, it can be inferred that whilst many Cognita schools offer multi-lingual opportunities (such as English Language Acquisition pathways), many of these schools may consider their multi-lingual offering as a way to ensure that all students can access the HQTL on offer at their school, instead of an explicit feature of HQTL​ 13. References to the importance of metacognition were particularly prevalent within Cognita schools in Asia.

The similarities between the views of Cognita senior leaders around the world are illustrative of the fact that all Cognita schools are united by their commitment to delivering a student-centric holistic education. Central to the delivery of this, the leaders in question unanimously recognised the need to:​ Offer a challenging, ambitious, tailored learning experience to each student in their care, facilitating academic and personal success both now and in the future for all students​ Facilitate student agency, ensuring that students are wholly comfortable to take ownership of their own learning and development​ However, the variation in precise definitions of HQTL is reflective of the diversity that exists within the Cognita community, between jurisdictions and even individual schools. Cognita is proud of the unique identity of each school and the fact that their approach is tailored to the desires, views and preferences of the families that make up their community.

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SECTION 3 Insights from Cognita Student Leaders A key part of the research process for this report involved conducting focus groups with student leaders of varying ages from around the Cognita community.

The student groups involved in this process were as follows:​ Angela, Mahdalena, Mateo and Sena, Year 6 Leadership Team, British School of Barcelona, Spain​ Freddie, Sasha and Olivia, Year 9, the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, UAE​ Berry, Flossie, Florence and Alec, Year 6, Charterhouse Square School, United Kingdom​

During each focus group session, the students were asked a series of questions regarding teaching and learning at their school, providing an opportunity for deep reflection regarding what ‘High Quality Teaching and Learning’ (HQTL) looks like to them.​ In this section, we will analyse the students’ reflections, identifying whether these aligned with the insights shared by Cognita senior leaders and citing some of the student groups’ unique suggestions.

Dominic, Steve and Alina, Grade 11 and 12, Stamford American School, Hong Kong​ Elisa, Fernando and Maximiliano, Grade 11, Dunalastair School, Las Condes, Chile​

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Each focus group started with students defining what the ‘best’ lessons and teaching looked like to them, including exploring what excited, motivated and supported them to learn. On this point, there was agreement amongst all five groups of students that where possible every single lesson should involve a variety of different activities (e.g. discussions, learning games and teacher-led instruction), to cater for all students’ interests and strengths and to improvement engagement. Students suggested that by offering a high degree of interactivity and variety, lessons in all subjects can be engaging and learning can be both fun and effective.

...every single lesson should involve a variety of different activities... to cater for all students’ interests and strengths Another key characteristic of great teaching that the student groups highlighted unanimously was teachers gaining an indepth understanding of each student in their care. By doing so, the students explained, teachers can adapt their style to each class and deliver differentiated instruction that caters for each individual student. All of the student groups aligned with our Cognita senior leaders in identifying this as a definitive point for HQTL. As an example of this, Berry explained how teachers from Charterhouse Square School benefit from their annual ‘moving up days’¹. She identified that by teachers having the opportunity to interact with and observe their new class before the start of the academic year, they are able to identify any students who may require interventions or additional support in advance of the new

academic year. This ensures that HQTL for all is possible from day one. The students from the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai added to this point, by suggesting that by deeply understanding the needs and wants of each individual, teachers are able to challenge all students, ensuring that deep learning is consistently achieved. They noted their appreciation of the consistent approach to providing different levels of challenge which features in every lesson at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai².

They also reflected on the benefit of 1-1 interactions with their teachers and the important role that teaching assistants play at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai in both supporting students who are struggling and providing additional attention to those who require challenge beyond the syllabus. All student groups agreed that having access to additional challenge both within and beyond the syllabus is important for their learning and continuous improvement. The students from Stamford American School Hong Kong saw providing additional challenge beyond the curriculum as a key element of high-quality teaching and suggested that teachers who are particularly passionate about their subject(s) may be more likely to frequently provide such additional challenge³.

1.Days occurring before the start of each academic year at Charterhouse Square School. Noted by Berry.​ 2.At the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, 3 targets and a separate ‘challenge’ are presented on the board in each lesson, to allow all students to set effective targets and be challenged.​ 3.Noted by Dominic, Stamford American School Hong Kong.

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The students also focused closely on the importance of supportive, mutually respectful relationships existing between themselves and their teachers. They unanimously agreed that by forging such relationships, the classroom can become a ‘safe space’⁴ for learning.

To build these relationships, the students explained that their teachers should take the time to connect with each student on a personal level. Dominic, from Stamford American School Hong Kong, suggested that teachers can forge positive relationships with students by sharing stories in a reciprocal manner – that is, encouraging students to share information about their lives but also sharing their own personal experiences with students. Dominic felt that by sharing their own personal experiences, teachers can simultaneously build better relationships with their students and make learning ‘more memorable’⁵, improving students’ recall of challenging topics. Dominic cited the example of his economics teacher explaining how the 2007-2008 financial crisis impacted them, which helped the students to remember what occurred during this period.

There was agreement from all the students at Stamford American School Hong Kong that teachers relating subject-learning to their own lives was beneficial for effective learning.

Similarly, students from The British School of Barcelona, Dunalastair School and the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai found it beneficial for their learning when their teachers related subject-learning to their students’ lives and interests. For example, Elisa from Dunalastair School explained how ‘analysing a song of her choice’ in her Spanish class⁶, made learning more engaging and consequently more memorable.​

4. Dunalastair School, Las Condes​ 5. Noted by Dominic, Stamford American School, Hong Kong​ 6. Elisa, Dunalastair School, Las Condes

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All five student groups also advocated for the important role that regular assessment plays in their learning. Students articulated well that regular assessments provide them with the opportunity to evaluate their knowledge, identify the right next steps for their development and to discuss their learning with their teachers. This consistent view on the importance of assessment to ‘check’ and ‘reinforce’ learning aligns closely with the insights from senior leaders. However, our student groups developed further on this point to partly attribute the value of assessment to the quality and availability of feedback. That is – they felt that one of the most valuable parts of being assessed was gaining feedback regarding where they could improve. Students from Stamford American School Hong Kong gave the valuable suggestion that teachers should base the frequency on which they assess their class on how frequently they can provide deep, valuable feedback to each student, as without this, the students perceived that the value of assessment was minimised. Students from Dunalastair School suggested that schools and systems may benefit from a move away from a primarily numeric grading system and could consider opting for a scale which uses descriptive feedback (e.g. ‘needs improvement’ to ‘outstanding’), to alleviate unnecessary stress and encourage teachers to provide more detailed qualitative feedback.

All of the students were highly supportive of collaborative, interactive learning environments, where discussion flows readily both between peers and between the teacher and their students. Olivia and Frederick from the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai highlighted that regular discussion, debates and collaboration with peers can help students to develop critical thinking skills; be open-minded to different perspectives and ‘interrogate’ subject material to enhance learning⁷. Students from Dunalastair School recommended that to ensure that active learning through discussion is a reality in every classroom, teachers should consider integrating shorter opportunities for discussion into almost every lesson, instead of reserving longer periods of time (e.g. individual lessons) for more formal opportunities for debate or discussion. The students from the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai noted that the majority of their lessons are highly discursive, which they greatly appreciate.

7. Noted by Frederick and Olivia, Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai

All of the students were highly supportive of collaborative, interactive learning environments, where discussion flows readily both between peers and between the teacher and their students.

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Finally, students shared their view on the role of technology for HQTL. The student groups unanimously recognised that technology has an important role to play in modern education, however there was a consistent sense of hesitation regarding how significantly technology contributes to HQTL. All students showed an awareness of the benefits of harnessing age-appropriate technology and artificial intelligence for both the quality and speed of their work⁸. However, the students unanimously outlined the value that they saw in more traditional learning methods also, including the value in writing things out manually for retaining information and recall. In relation to writing, Elisa from Dunalastair School also reflected on how important writing abilities are for the world of work and noted that schools should maintain an appropriate focus on this skill, whilst also responding to technological advancements. Students recognised that the value that technology can offer to teaching and learning may also vary significantly between subjects⁹. There was clear agreement between our students and staff leaders that technology is a tool for HQTL but not a defining factor.​

Considering the varying emphasis that the students placed on the role of technology, an important point of conversation was with regards to how widely individual devices should be allocated by schools. Frederick from the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai provided a useful recommendation in this area. His suggestion was that schools should ensure that they have an effective system for regularly evaluating how extensively their students’ individual devices are being used and whether their chosen device type is correct for their students10.

8. Dominic from Stamford American School Hong Kong referenced his understanding of the extent to which AI and other technologies can support with communication and research.​ 9. Steve from Stamford American School Hong Kong noted his belief that subjects such as Theatre or English may likely be less impacted by technology than other subjects.​ 10. Frederick noted the recommendation that schools should continually evaluate their decisions with regards to technology, including recommending that certain year groups at the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai may benefit from receiving a writing tablet (‘A remarkable’), rather than a laptop.​ 11. This point was also noted by students from Charterhouse Square School.​

Other contributors to HQTL shared by individual groups of students were as follows:​ Students from The British School of Barcelona explained the value in having school-wide behavioural ‘habits’ to establish a supportive environment for learning in every classroom​ Students from Stamford American School Hong Kong explained the value in systematically and regularly capturing student voice to inform practices in the classroom​ Students from the Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai explained the value in ‘streaming’ students, to deliver a challenging programme for all students​ Students from Charterhouse Square School explained how positive behaviour management processes (e.g. praising exemplary behaviours) help to ensure that students are attentive, engaged and curious in the classroom – ready to learn​ Students from Dunalastair School explained how ‘healthy competition’ between students in a non-judgmental, supportive classroom environment can support them to achieve their best 11

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As we look back on the views of these student groups, we reflect with pride on the insights that they provided.

Despite their diversity in ages and jurisdictions, their consensus regarding what constitutes HQTL was notable. Furthermore, their agreement with Cognita senior leaders regarding the importance of differentiated instruction in the classroom and providing opportunities for challenge for all reinforces the significance of these elements to HQTL. The Cognita team have taken many suggestions from these conversations, which will be explored in the summary that follows.

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SUMMARY ALIGNMENT OF VIEWS​ As we reflect on section 2 and 3 of this report, we observe a notable degree of commonality between the views of our students and educational leaders. Particularly, in relation to these defining factors of HQTL:​ Creating a supportive classroom environment, founded on mutual respect​

The role of regular, effective feedback (including from assessments) in guiding students’ learning journeys​

Adaptive teaching that responds to the needs of individual students

The importance of delivering challenge to all students, to ensure that learning is continuous and not limited​

The views of both groups also aligned closely with the teaching and learning models referenced in Section 1, including covering ‘assessment and feedback’, ‘cognitive engagement’, ‘classroom interaction’ and ‘social-emotional support’¹.

However, one element of the cited research models that was not explored in depth by either our students or leaders was content mastery (‘Understand the content they are teaching and how it is learnt’)². Instead, two groups of Cognita students explained their view that the majority of teachers could likely achieve content mastery, whilst truly great teaching would likely involve going beyond this - for example, displaying an undoubtable passion for their subject(s) and being able to challenge students beyond the boundaries of the curriculum. Cognita senior leaders similarly didn’t refer explicitly to content mastery by teachers in their definitions but instead cited great teaching as that which facilitates ‘content mastery’³ amongst students.​ 1. Public Consultation on the Schools+ Pedagogical Taxonomy, OECD, Schools+ 2. Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, Evidence Based Education 3. Fay Khan, Dasman Bilingual School, Kuwait

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Furthermore, whilst Cognita students and leaders referenced the importance of creating an ‘enabling’⁴ and ‘supportive environment for learning’⁵, they did not explicitly reference the importance of behaviour management processes to the same extent as within our research examples. Instead, our students and educational leaders primarily focused on the existence of relationships between teachers and students rooted in mutual respect, inferring that if such relationships exist, students’ behaviours should align with what is necessary for a productive classroom environment. It should be noted that of all those involved, our two groups of primary school students were most explicit in calling out the importance of effective behaviour management mechanisms in their schools.​ Another observation was that there was less of a focus on ‘planning’⁶ mechanisms for effective teaching amongst our student groups than in the research or the insights from our senior leaders. This is to be expected considering the relatively ‘academic’ nature of concepts regarding planning teaching for effective learning.

Similarly, none of the student groups explicitly referenced the importance of student-led ‘inquiry’⁷ (with this exact wording), whilst a number of school leaders commented on this point. This is likely to be expected considering the ‘academic’ nature of this term, as it was clear from the conversations that all of the students did recognise the value of inquiry-based learning opportunities (citing their enjoyment of debates, group work and project-based learning).

On the other hand, amongst all of the student groups, a considerable connection was observed between teaching that they found to be exciting and teaching that they deemed to be high quality. This connection was not of such prevalence in the expert insights from our educational leaders. This serves to exemplify that learning is a social-emotional process⁸.

The students also focused on the value of assessment to a greater extent than the educational leaders.

...a considerable connection was observed between teaching that they found to be exciting and teaching that they deemed to be high quality...This serves to exemplify that learning is a socialemotional process.

4. Teaching for how students learn: A model of learning and teaching, Australian Education Research Organisation 5. Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, Evidence Based Education 6. Teaching for how students learn: A model of learning and teaching, Australian Education Research Organisation 7. Great Teaching Toolkit: Evidence Review, Evidence Based Education 8. Public Consultation on the Schools+ Pedagogical Taxonomy, OECD, Schools+

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CONCLUDING STATEMENTS Amongst all of the conclusions for this report, what stands out most is the value that schools and educational organisations can gain in engaging students in important conversations about the present and future of education. As a Cognita team, we will consider the students’ insights in depth and are very grateful for their engagement with this process.​ Within this report, we have observed that whilst there are many elements that educational experts and students consider to be important for High Quality Teaching and Learning, clear points of focus can be identified. Relating to these points, Cognita endorses the view that each school should have a widely understood, evidence-informed pedagogical framework that embeds responsive teaching and academic rigour. By establishing this, Cognita considers that school leadership teams are empowered to ensure that in every classroom teaching is effective and impactful – that is, it leads to deep learning and continual progress for all students. Complementing this, a student-centric, supportive environment which champions student ambition, agency and leadership will ensure that students are able to thrive.

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CALL-TO-ACTION QUESTIONS When digesting this report, we encourage educators to reflect on the call-to-action questions detailed below. These questions were developed in conjunction with our student groups and reflect what they would like to encourage educators to consider.

For School Leaders​

For Individual Teachers

How effective is our approach to

Am I able to provide valuable feedback

harnessing technology as an enabler

to students in response to assessments?

for learning? (Including the extent to

If not, could it be beneficial to evaluate

which individual devices are used

how frequently my students complete

effectively and whether the ‘best-fit’

long-form assessments?​

devices have been selected).​ Could I continue to enhance my Is our approach to delivering HQTL

relationship with my students and

and challenge consistent enough

support their learning by sharing

between school phases and subjects

examples of my own personal

for students to be able to clearly

experiences with them?​

articulate how this works?​ Do students in my class complete a Do our induction mechanisms provide

variety of different activities within

sufficient opportunities for teachers

most individual lessons? If not, what

to get to know their new classes?​

more could I do to enable this?​

Do we feel confident that students

Do I feel confident that my lessons

feel able to seek out additional

regularly involve opportunities for

challenge in all subjects and phases?​

discussion with and between students?​

Are we providing enough

When I have a new class, is there

opportunities for students to share

anything more that I could do to better

their voices in the classroom and

understand their individual needs?

shape their learning journey?

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Contributors: Student Leaders​

Chile​

Elisa, Fernando and Maximiliano, Grade 12, Dunalastair School Las Condes​

Hong Kong​

Chuyun (Alina), Pui Hei (Steve) and and Hin Chun (Dominic), Grade 11 and 12, Stamford American School Hong Kong​​

Spain​

Angela, Mahdalena, Mateo and Sena, Year 6, The British School of Barcelona ​

UAE​

Frederick, Olivia and Sasha, Year 9, The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai

UK​

Berry, Florence, Flossie and Alec, Year 6, Charterhouse Square School​​

Contributors: Senior Leaders Brazil

Isis Aquino, Director of Education, CognitaBrazil Claudia Baquedano, Director of Education, Cognita Chile

Chile Maria Jose Howard, Director of Education, Cognita Chile Colombia

Paola Garcia, Direction of Education, Cognita Colombia

Hong Kong

Timothy Swan, Director of Teaching and Learning, Stamford American School Hong Kong

India

Sanchita Raha, Principal, CHIREC International School

Italy

Leonardo Amulfi, Principal, Florence Bilingual School Victoria McNair, Kindergarten Principal, Dasman Bilingual School

Kuwait Fay Khan, Curriculum Coordinator, Dasman Bilingual School Mexico

John Kelly, Principal, Colegio Olinca

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Contributors: Senior Leaders Matt Mills, Superintendent, Stamford American International School Singapore Singapore Karrie Dietz, Head of School, Australian International School, Singapore

Vanessa Grimward, Executive Principal, El Limonar International Schools Spain

Neil Tetley, Executive Head, The British School of Barcelona

Thailand

Helen Coleman, Deputy Head of School, St Andrews International School Sathorn

UAE

Nick Hart, Headteacher, Horizon English School Sarah Reynolds, Director of Education, Cognita Europe

UK Karen Nicholson, Headteacher, Breaside School Vietnam

Tosca Killoran, Deputy Head of School, International School Ho Chi Minh City

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Authors: Cognita Group Education Team

Kristie Overton, Head of Group Education Insight & Projects Dr. Simon Camby, Group Chief Education Officer

Designer: Cognita Group Education Team

Doan Tran, Content Manager (Education)