Research taster

One of the biggest challenges when implementing AfL is how to capture the ‘spirit’ or underlying principles of AfL effectively. One study showed that whilst many teachers can adopt AfL techniques, such as sharing the criteria with learners, fairly easily, most find it difficult to do so in a way which enables their pupils to become more independent as learners. This deeper kind of change in practice only happens when you actively engage with the ideas and principles underpinning the practices.

Your evidence  

You may find it helpful to talk with a trusted colleague about two or three changes related to AfL practices that you have made recently in your teaching. You could try explaining why you made the changes, how you set about making them, what you hoped to achieve,  why you think that the things that worked were successful and why those that didn’t work failed.

Moving forward

Would discussing the ideas and principles underpinning AfL practices with a colleague help you make them work more effectively in your context in future? Making substantial changes to practice calls for a mix of ingredients and in particular for a mix of peer, specialist and leadership support.  Would you find it helpful to work with your colleagues to identify the conditions in your school that would help you to make and sustain changes of this kind?

  Find out more

You can find out more about helping pupils to become independent learners on the TLRP learning how to learn project website at: http://www.tlrp.org/proj/phase11/phase2f.html

You can find out more about putting AfL into practice on the GTC’s Research of the Month website at: http://www.gtce.org.uk/policyandresearch/research/ROMtopics/afl/

You can find out more about how working collaboratively with colleagues can help you to change your practice on the GTC’s Research of the Month website at: http://www.gtce.org.uk/policyandresearch/research/ROMtopics/cpdrom/