Top Ten teaching methods by Professor Robert Marzano

Professor Robert Marzano has reviewed and synthesised classroom based research just like Hattie, and isolated the student activities with the highest effect size.  They are very widely applicable tasks suitable for almost any subject or topic.  I call them the Top Ten teaching methods.

Top ten active learning methods

Remember, it is not what the technology does that makes it effective, but what the student does.  Here are Marzano’s top ten methods.  The figure in brackets after each method is the average ‘effect size’ in experimental trials.  An effect size of 1.0 is roughly equivalent to two grades at GCSE or A level:

Identifying similarities and differences: (1.32) The learner ‘compares and contrasts’ two concepts. E.g. virus with bacterium.  This can includes an analogy e.g. electricity flow with water flow

Graphic organisers: (1.24) Students create diagrams such as mindmaps, flow diagrams, comparison tables etc.  The latter can be used to plan writing, so can others.

Note making and summarising.  (Average effect size .99) Students create their own notes and get feedback on their efforts e.g. by comparing their notes with a model.

Cooperative Learning: (0.73) Special group methods such as ‘Jigsaw’, Academic Controversy etc.  (It is not just any student learning in groups, Cooperative Learning methods are designed to create accountability in learners etc.). These are ideal for students to learn in groups from ILT resources and from conventional resources.  See also other ‘Teaching Without Talking’ methods in ‘Evidence Based Teaching’.

Informative Feedback (1.0) students get informative feedback on their learning which is towards a clearly specified goal.  This should be ‘medal and mission’ feedback.  E.g. they are asked to research and write notes on a topic, then they are tested, or check their notes against a model.  This informs them of what they did well (medal) and what they need to work on (mission).  ‘Feedback’ includes reinforcing effort and providing recognition etc.  It also includes self, peer and spoof assessment.

Advance organisers: (Average effect size up to .78)  Summaries in advance, rhetorical questions acting as a focus for the learning of a topic (‘cues’).  These get students to focus on what is important.

Challenging task given in advance (up to 1.2) goals that require reasoning not just reproduction

Relevant recall questions  (Average effect size 0.93) Recalling prerequisite learning, and answering questions on useful analogies the student is familiar with before studying a new topic

Decisions decisions(.89) students must  match, group, sequence or rank ‘cards’,or  text boxes, diagrams etc.  This might be done by dragging and dropping.

Hypothesis testing:  (0.79)  Students give arguments for and against an hypothesis to test it.  They might eventually create and test their own hypotheses.