What makes up great teaching, and how do we train teachers to be the best that they can be?
The EEF is dedicated to answering these questions. We break down the component practices of teaching, test their impact through educational research, and share what we learn with those who can benefit from this knowledge. We make sure that educational approaches (see the Teaching and Learning Toolkit), programmes (see Promising Programmes) and practices (see Guidance Reports) are appropriately specified, and explained in such a way that allows teachers and leaders to translate and adapt them to their own settings.
But some elements of teaching can be hard to pin down.
I recently visited my former ECT mentor, to interview him as part of our current three-part podcast series investigating whether teaching can be seen as an ‘art’ or a ‘science’. As I entered his office, I was greeted by a large American football helmet atop of a bookcase. Dami Ajagbonna, or ‘Mr A’ to the pupils, is an expert in developing classroom culture and names his classes after American college football teams to give them an identity. The helmet, it transpired, was a gift from his first Year 11 class in his new school, who had penned their signatures on the grated silver hat in thanks to him.
In my interview with him, Dami explains why class identities can be so powerful:
Similarly, the Initial Teacher Training & Core Content Framework, a framework that we’ve quality assured and endorsed, highlights that “a culture of mutual trust and respect supports effective relationships.” This principle is grounded in research showing that a pupils’ perception of their class climate can have a bearing on wellbeing, and potentially educational aspirations and engagement.
Yet, as Dami and I discuss in the first episode of the podcast series, while research can tell us that culture matters, it doesn’t necessarily provide a step-by-step guide on how to create it. The evidence might provide some helpful ingredients, but it’s down to teachers to experiment with these to find the right recipes for their classes.
Listen to the three-part series now.
This is one of the reasons why Dami argues that teaching can never be seen as an exclusively scientific or technical profession. Research can tell us what works, but bringing it to life requires craft, creativity, judgement: a human touch.
The question then, is how we can combine the artistic elements with the more scientific, how we connect individual and personal instincts with more collective bodies of evidence and understanding.
For while the signed American football helmet on top of Dami’s bookcase symbolised his unique strength in crafting classroom identities, its position balanced above shelves of pedagogical literature illustrates how great teaching comes through personal commitment and vocation, and a deep curiosity about how best to serve the needs of children and young people.
Author biography
Harry Madwick: As Senior Content & Engagement Manager, Harry leads the EEF’s engagement work that focuses on making evidence actionable. Harry works to ensure research responds to real-world needs, and that teachers and leaders are given the knowledge and skills required to access and apply evidence.
Contributor biography
Dami Ajagbonna: Dami is Deputy Head Teacher of Hitchin Boys’ School, where he also teaches English. Dami leads on pastoral care and is an expert in developing school and classroom cultures, and group identities. Prior to his current post, Dami held various leadership positions in inner city London schools.
