Teaching and Learning

VSSEC applies the science of teaching to the teaching of science. The Centre is committed to the pursuit of excellence in its teaching practice and has developed a strategy based on the most recent research-based pedagogy from across the world. Its instructional design has been influenced and informed by several seminal texts, including the following:

• The Art and Science of Teaching, Robert J. Marzano, ASCD; this is a model for ensuring quality teaching that balances the necessity of research-based data with the equally vital need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of individual students.
• Classroom Instruction that Works, Robert J. Marzano, Debra J. Pickering, Jane E. Pollock; includes research based strategies for increasing student achievement. The authors identify 9 high-yielding strategies for improving student outcomes.
• Designing Effective Maths Instruction, Douglas Carnine, Jerry Silbert, and Marcy Stein.
• Designing Effective Science Instruction, Anne Tweed, McREL. Anne Tweed regularly runs workshops and learning programs at VSSEC for primary and secondary teachers.
• How People Learn; Brain, Mind, Experience and School, John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking (editors) National Academy Press. Commissioned by the National Research Council; presents the conclusions of recent research in cognitive science, and their implications for teaching and learning.
• Improving Student Learning One Teacher at a Time, Jane Pollock, who regularly runs workshops and presentations at VSSEC.
• Teaching Science with Interactive Notebooks, Kellie Marcarelli.
• Visible Learning, and Visible Learning for Teachers, John Hattie, education researcher who believes that learning occurs when teachers see through the eyes of students and help them become their own teachers.