Activate: A professional learning resource to help teachers and leaders promote self-regulated learning

By James Mannion, Louise Stoll, Karen Spence-Thomas and Greg Ross

It's widely recognised that self-regulated learners are more effective learners.The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) suggests that metacognition and self-regulation are among the most important practices a school can focus on, providing 'very high impact for very low cost, based on extensive evidence'(EEF, 2022). However, teachers and leaders are often unsure what these terms mean, or what they look like in practice.
This resourceenables teachers and leaders to 'activate' pupils to become the drivers of their own learning. Comprising six sets of resource cards and aclear and detailed facilitator guide along with an extensive bibliography and additional downloadable materialsActivatehas been designed to support time-pressed teachers and leaders to understand the theory and practice of self-regulated learning in an accessible way. Working through the activities will enable teachers and leaders to realise the potential of these powerful ideas in working with pupils, while helping them to regulate their own learning.
Learning conversations enable educators to make meaning together, connecting existing knowledge and experience with research evidence to create new ideas for how to improve their practice. TheActivatecards are designed to facilitate learning conversations and associated actions, to helpteachers, leaders and pupils become more confident, proactive, self-regulated learners.
The cards are grouped into two sets Researchcards andProfessional Learning and Leadership Learningcards. TheResearchcards cover the key concepts and characteristics of self-regulated learning, offering a range of tried and tested techniques and strategies that teachers can put into practice in their own context. TheProfessional Learning and Leadership Learningcards and associatedScenariocards contain stimulating activities designed to help teachers and leaders promote and model self-regulated learning.
The resource has been developed by specialists at the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership, in conjunction with colleagues from the global Cognita schools system.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Crown House Publishing
• Release date: Sep 21, 2023
• ISBN: 9781785837128

James Mannion

Dr James Mannion is the Director of Rethinking Education, a teacher training organisation dedicated to improving educational outcomes through self-regulated learning, implementation science, and practitioner research. He has a Masters in Person-Centred Education from the University of Sussex, and a PhD in Self-Regulated Learning from the University of Cambridge. Previously, James taught in secondary schools for 12 years.

Book preview

Contents

Title Page

Why Activate?

What is Activate?

Self-regulated learning

Promoting self-regulated learning through Activate

The Activate theory of change

The Activate cards

The Activate professional learning cycle

Learning conversations

Using Activate

Who can use Activate?

Engaging with Activate

Downloadable resources

Annex 1: The Activate conceptual framework

Metacognition

Self-regulation

Self-regulated learning

Annex 2: Powerful professional learning

Annex 3: Stimulating learning conversations

References and bibliography

About the authors and organisations

About the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership

About Cognita

Acknowledgements

Copyright

Why Activate?

It’s widely recognised that self-regulated learners are more effective learners. For example, in England, the Education Endowment Foundation suggests that ‘metacognition and self-regulation’ are among the most impactful things a school can focus on, providing ‘very high impact for very low cost based on extensive evidence’ (Education Endowment Foundation, n.d.). However, teachers and leaders are often unsure precisely what ‘metacognition and self-regulation’ means – or what these ideas look like in practice.

Clearly, if it’s possible for teachers to ‘activate’ children and young people to become the drivers of their own learning, then there’s a strong case for doing so. This resource has been designed to enable time-pressed teachers, leaders and support staff to understand the theory and practice of self-regulated learning in an accessible way. Working your way through the activities in this professional learning resource will increase your ability to realise the potential of these powerful ideas to improve outcomes for children and young people while enhancing the development of your own self-regulated learning.

What is Activate?

Activate is a card-based professional learning resource which supports teachers, leaders and support staff to promote self-regulated learning. The resource has been developed by specialists at the UCL Centre for Educational Leadership, in conjunction with colleagues from the global schools group, Cognita. Drawing on research into self-regulated learning, professional learning and leadership, Activate helps schools to explore the following questions:

What do the terms metacognition, self-regulation and self-regulated learning mean – and what do they look like in practice for teachers, leaders and pupils?

How can teachers develop their teaching practice so that