There has been a drive over the last few years to display and proclaim ‘learning intentions' at the beginning of each lesson. John Hattie’s Visible Learning gives high effect size to teachers knowing exactly what and why they are teaching a particular lesson and espouses the use of learning intentions.
Hattie agrees that ‘learning does not happen in neat linear sequences..and is sometimes complex.’ ‘Learning intentions are what we intend students to learn...Students learn other things not planned for, so teachers need to be aware of unintended consequences.’ (Hattie 2017 p.43) Lynn Sharratt lists learning intentions as an important aspect of Parameter 3, ‘Quality Assessment Informs Instruction, in her comprehensive and influential book Clarity. Learning intentions are the top of her ‘assessment waterfall’, connecting success criteria, descriptive feedback, peer and self-assessment and individual goal setting. She champions the need for ‘big ideas’ and essential questions as they ‘need to cause and stretch students’ thinking.’ (Sharratt, 2019, p.125) But how should learning intentions be framed? While all educators would agree that a teacher must know the intent of a lesson before he teaches it, are there dangers in telling the children what they are about to learn for every lesson, especially in the primary setting? Firstly, by telling the student what they're about to learn, risks a number of children in the class ‘switching off’ and disengaging from the start. What about the gifted child who already knows that information or has that skill? What about the disengaged child who isn't interested in learning it anyway? ‘What is the most efficient or easiest way to add three-digit numbers?’ is much more engaging than saying, ‘We are learning to add three-digit numbers.’ Dylan Wiliam explains this well in his video, 'Clarifying, Sharing, and Understanding Learning Intentions' Secondly, by telling children what they are about to learn takes curiosity and inquiry out of the equation. Children are by nature curious. The learning intention ‘We are learning to use adjectives to make our writing more engaging’ can be easily be switched to an inquiry mode by the learning intention ‘How can we make our writing more engaging by using adjectives?’ Thirdly, by telling children what they are about to learn gives the message that the teacher has all the knowledge and is going to ‘fill the empty vessel’ with knowledge. In this case the power stays with the teacher, rather than the children directing and owning the learning. Where is the student agency? If we pose learning intentions as questions, or even wonderings, we open up a world of discovery. We prick imagination. We encourage curiosity. Trevor Mackenzie says, ‘Whether a problem statement, a wondering, a curiosity or debate, questions shape the learning.’ Catering for gifted children is an essential part of classroom differentiation. We want to facilitate ‘high ceiling, low floor’ learning experiences. Learning intentions such as ‘we are learning to ……. disenfranchise gifted children from learning. Why participate in a lesson if you already know it! Learning intentions posed as questions can prompt the thinking that is required for the learning. Alice Vigors suggests ‘we must also share with students what kinds of thinking they will be asked to do’. A science learning intention could change from ‘We are learning to classify invertebrates’ to a inquiry approach such as ‘How would you classify invertebrates and how does it differ from scientists’ classification? Sometimes in the primary setting, a lesson, with the best of intentions, can go off on a tangent that leads to amazing learning for children. It may have been an interesting question a child asked. It may be a bulldozer coming through the playground for a building project. As primary educators we often go with the children’s interests knowing we have to come back to the planned lesson at a later date. Sometimes the lesson may be a pure investigation. The children explore a concept and discover new learnings. Sometimes we let them ‘play.’ As a teacher we may pose the question in reflection or ‘plenary’ time at the end of the lesson, what do you think my learning intention was? The answer may lead to more teaching points. At St Paul’s, where we are building a ‘culture of thinking’. We want children to be curious, critical and creative thinkers. We want them to learn how to be good learners and we value and make visible the thinking, rather than just looking for answers. For these reasons we pose learning intentions as questions, not statements. As Kath Murdoch, an expert on inquiry learning, says, ‘a question rather than statement can help us stay in that lovely, intriguing space – and doesn’t make us any less intentional.’ At St Paul’s we see them more as learning invitations, rather than learning intentions! References: Fullan, Michael, et al. Deep Learning : Engage the World, Change the World. Thousand Oaks, California, Corwin, A Sage Publishing Company, 2018. Hattie, John. Visible Learning for Mathematics, Grades K-12 : What Works Best to Optimize Student Learning. Thousand Oaks, California, Corwin Mathematics, 2017. Sharratt, Lyn, et al. Clarity : What Matters Most in Learning, Teaching, and Leading. Thousand Oaks, California, Corwin ; [Ontario, 2019.
4 Comments
Maree Pittaway
11/5/2021 05:36:22 pm
A well written blog. I love how you have reference current research and I'm a Kath Murdock fan. Deep learning goes hand in hand with an invitation and so does engagement.
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4/7/2021 01:01:38 pm
Good to see someone asking deeper questions about Hattie's claims. Another aspect of learning intentions is the focus, at least here in Victoria on differentiated learning. How do you write 1 learning intention for differentiated learning??
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13/10/2021 04:41:19 pm
Thank you Greg for inviting me to your amazing school and this blog. Like George Lilley I have concerns over the narrowing of learning with Learning Intentions and Success Criteria. I think it is working against the 4Cs and inquiry and the concept is not helpful in the 21st century.
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Greg Cumming
23/8/2022 03:01:47 pm
Since writing this blog I have come across this insightful video of Dylan Williams: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fC29IyqPVr0 A further justification for how we should use learning intentions in a careful flexible and open-ended way.
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AuthorGreg Cumming is a Primary Principal in the Diocese of Maitland Newcastle, NSW Australia Archives
March 2024
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