Training teachers to back students' choices may make students more involved

The study

1. 01

   Who took part

   Twenty high school teachers from two schools in the Midwest took part. Trained observers watched each teacher's classes three times over ten weeks.

2. 02

   What they did

   Teachers were picked at random for one of two groups of ten. One group had a one-hour session on supporting students' choices and then studied a website for about three weeks. The other group had the same training after the second round of watching.

3. 03

   What happened

   Teachers who had the training were rated as backing students' choices more than teachers who were waiting. Their students tended to be more involved and take more initiative in the same lessons. This was a link across all 20 classes, not a test between two groups of students.

What the study found

1. HelpedOther outcomes

   After a session and website on backing students' choices, teachers did more of this than teachers who waited.

   Very small randomised trial of 20 high school teachers and their students · vs teachers still waiting for the session · behaviour was recorded

2. No comparisonMotivation

   Where teachers backed students' reasons more, students tended to be more involved and show more initiative.

   Very small randomised trial of 20 high school teachers and their students · no comparison group · behaviour was recorded

Source