It's widely recognised that self-regulated learners are more effective learners.The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) suggests that metacognition and self-regulation are among the most important practices a school can focus on, providing 'very high impact for very low cost, based on extensive evidence'(EEF, 2022). However, teachers and leaders are often unsure what these terms mean, or what they look like in practice.
This resourceenables teachers and leaders to 'activate' pupils to become the drivers of their own learning. Comprising six sets of resource cards and aclear and detailed facilitator guide along with an extensive bibliography and additional downloadable materialsActivatehas been designed to support time-pressed teachers and leaders to understand the theory and practice of self-regulated learning in an accessible way. Working through the activities will enable teachers and leaders to realise the potential of these powerful ideas in working with pupils, while helping them to regulate their own learning.
Learning conversations enable educators to make meaning together, connecting existing knowledge and experience with research evidence to create new ideas for how to improve their practice. TheActivatecards are designed to facilitate learning conversations and associated actions, to helpteachers, leaders and pupils become more confident, proactive, self-regulated learners.
The cards are grouped into two sets Researchcards andProfessional Learning and Leadership Learningcards. TheResearchcards cover the key concepts and characteristics of self-regulated learning, offering a range of tried and tested techniques and strategies that teachers can put into practice in their own context. TheProfessional Learning and Leadership Learningcards and associatedScenariocards contain stimulating activities designed to help teachers and leaders promote and model self-regulated learning.
The resource has been developed by specialists at the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership, in conjunction with colleagues from the global Cognita schools system.
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Created by James Mannion, Louise Stoll, Karen Spence-Thomas and Greg Ross,Activateis a card-based professional learning resource that aims to improve pupils' experiences and outcomes by promoting self-regulated learning among leaders, teachers and pupils.
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I love Activate! It combines powerful research with practical activities. This is a wonderful set of resources from which anyone facilitating professional learning can draw. The cards simplify, clarify and deepen understanding, building community and confidence in the process as they demystify self-regulation and metacognition.
Bill Lucas
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Here's a resource which imaginative and committed school and college leaders will grab as a way of improving the quality of what goes on among teachers and pupils in classrooms, departments and more widely. After all, metacognition and self-regulated learning represent the El Dorado of educators - to be able to identify accurately for yourself where you need to improve and have sufficient control of your behaviour and environment to do it would be the ideal outcome for us all - and a huge benefit to a heathy society if it could be done at scale. This resource could help. Every school and college needs a copy, but they will also need leaders who commit to its thoughtful implementation. It's particularly suited to a multi-academy trust since they will have the resource to enable hands-on coaching, which will be the ideal way of making sure it isn't one of those many good ideas which founder for lack of commitment from leaders.
Tim Brighouse
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Here's a resource which will help teachers think again about their own classroom practice. Cleverly structured, it guides teachers through consideration of how they could refine and tran
Dr James Mannion is the Director of Rethinking Education, a teacher training organisation dedicated to improving educational outcomes through self-regulated learning, implementation science, and practitioner research. He has a Masters in Person-Centred Education from the University of Sussex, and a PhD in Self-Regulated Learning from the University of Cambridge. Previously, James taught in secondary schools for 12 years.
Dr Louise Stoll is Professor of Professional Learning at the UCL Centre for Education, IOE and an international consultant, focusing on how school and system leaders create capacity for learning. Louise is a former president of the International Congress for School Effectiveness and Improvement and has worked with the OECD on several initiatives. She has co-developed many materials supporting leaders to connect research evidence and practice.
Karen Spence-Thomas is a former schoolteacher and Associate Professor (Teaching) at the Centre for Educational Leadership, IOE. She specialised in designing and facilitating tailored professional development programmes for school leaders in the UK and internationally. She also co-led the centre’s R&D network of schools, promoting teacher inquiry as a basis for professional development.
Greg Ross is an Associate Professor (Teaching) at the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership, IOE. He specialises in the design and delivery of evidence-informed professional learning programmes for teachers and school leaders, in partnership with ministries of education, non-governmental organisations, and international school groups. Greg’s research focuses on the leadership of curriculum change. Before joining the IOE, Greg was a senior leader and English teacher in secondary schools.
