Expert Views on "What Makes Great Teaching?"

The Guardian has published an article written by Sarah Marsh and Kate Hodge titled "What Makes Great Teaching? Expert Views" describing the results of a study which reviewed 200 pieces of research on what makes great teaching. The two most important elements of great teaching practices were the quality of instruction and how well a teacher knew their subject.

Some of the topics discussed in the article included:

• the merits of overly praising children in the classroom
• damaging beliefs about effective pedagogy
• investing in professional development for teachers
• the receptivity of teachers to research evidence
• the need to clarify expectations of good teaching practices

Overall, the study mentioned in this article concluded, among other things, that conventional approaches to teaching seemed to be the most effective. Do you agree with that conclusion, or is it more complicated than that?