How do we teach knowledge within and across subjects?
Glynis Frater
Leader of Coaching and CPD at Learning Cultures. ?? CPD for Teachers ?? Author of Primary Curriculum Design and Delivery published Marc 2023
How do we teach knowledge within and across subjects?
The current OFSTED handbook entwines the curriculum with the concept of quality. The Quality of Education judgement is about the curriculum, how it is taught and how pupils learn. In this context the curriculum provides the edifice with which to build a set of aims that will create the measures of quality with which to define what will be taught, how it will be taught and how success is measured in relation to how well pupils have achieved in terms of both knowledge and skills. For some knowledge is the key ingredient for others it is the skills that create the building blocks that lead to learning.
The language and the vocabulary of the curriculum should be an integral part of conversations between the teacher and their subject lead. Subject experts and their teams within departments in secondary schools and in phases, key stages of year groups in the primary school need to work together to ensure a planned and sequenced curriculum builds on what has been taught before and allows all pupils to competently achieve the relevant knowledge and skills specified as clearly defined end points. Discussions about knowledge, what pupils need to know need to be at the heart of these conversations.
The role of the subject leader is pivotal whether in the primary or the secondary school. Their interpretation of the vision for whole school excellence is essential. It must be shaped through the decisions made about the curriculum and what it can achieve as a sequential and powerful driver for all pupils to succeed and thrive as they progress from early years to GCSE and beyond. This involves careful study of their relevant programmes of study, what pupils are building on in terms of skills and knowledge and what they should know and be able to do by certain clearly defined end points.
The Weaving of Knowledge and Skills in the Pursuance of Excellence
This post deliberately focuses on the ongoing debate about the content of the curriculum and the importance of knowledge as the essential pre-requisite for a high quality of education. The subject specific programmes of study for key stage 1, 2 and 3 are packed with the knowledge that pupils need to know, remember and understand as they progress through the years towards key stage 4. However, the aims and purpose of study reveal that in order to make sense of knowledge pupils need to apply fundamental principles, have the skills of enquiry, be able to read and comprehend and understand the concepts that underpin subjects as well as transcend them.
Our course that looks at quality assurance as a system for education looks in detail at quality and the curriculum and what is required to build excellence. Creating Quality Assurance Systems within Education
The emphasis on reading, especially recently with OFSTED's report 'Now the Whole School is Reading: supporting struggling readers in secondary schools' focuses on the need to prioritise reading for those who are not fluent readers when they arrive from their primary school. The programmes of study across all the subjects both core and foundation may focus on knowledge acquisition but without the ability to read fluently and comprehend with depth pupils cannot access the knowledge they are expected to know, extend their vocabulary or be able to infer, debate, present or know similarities and differences to name but a few of the many skills pupils need to make sense of knowledge.
Our course Enhancing Reading and Literacy across the Secondary Curriculum is a deep dive into powerful strategies for ensuring all pupils can read and use their literacy skills fluently and with unconscious competence.
Equally, the maths skills that pupils must acquire in order to meet the rigorous age-related standards that form the content of the programmes of study for maths in key stage 1 and 2 require pupils to learn by rote as well as by problem solving and application. At key stage 3 the detailed list of what pupils must know and be able to do is clearly set out.
In all three of the key stages it is also explicit that the application of mathematical knowledge should be applied in other subjects where it is integral to the learning. This requires a high degree of collaboration and cross curricular discussion. Where pupils apply their maths learning in the context of a science problem, understanding many geographical concepts and in other subjects such as design or food technology, computer science or music their mathematical understanding increases because they know why they learnt the concept and this deepens their knowledge and understanding in both contexts.
This Learning Cultures' course Enhancing the Role of the Numeracy Coordinator: developing a whole school numeracy policy is an innovative look at how number deepens knowledge and understanding in many subjects.
Substantive, disciplinary and powerful knowledge
Recent subject reviews have brought into the curriculum language the terms substantive and disciplinary knowledge and elsewhere the phrase powerful knowledge is having a revival. Substantive knowledge is essentially the facts, the what of a subject in relation to the basic knowledge defined by subject experts. Disciplinary knowledge is effectively how the substantive knowledge is used to find out more, infer or build on knowledge to aid deeper understanding of specific concepts or ideas.
The recently published Science Review Finding the Optimum: the science subject report uses these terms to describe the teaching of science in some schools as fundamentally shallow only teaching the substantive and therefore missing opportunities to use disciplinary knowledge to deepen understanding strengthen memory and create deeper meaning. See my previous post Teaching Science - evidence and best practice in the primary phase and key stage 3 for more on this science report.
Powerful knowledge is the brainchild of Michael Young and takes the concept of disciplinary knowledge to new heights. I found the concept of powerful knowledge a difficult one to understand. When reading and listening to explanations by Michael Young they seemed short on examples of what he actually meant by powerful knowledge. His focus was generic without reference to its relevance to the current National Curriculum programmes of study or to what the inspectorate whichever one is relevant across all the nations of the UK want curriculum implementation, pedagogy and learning to look like.
Having delved deeply into the research and the commentary during the writing of my own book Primary Curriculum Design and Delivery due out in March and using my own deep knowledge of the shaping of curriculum strategies and systems I draw the conclusion that knowledge must never be disconnected facts linked to specific subjects but a kaleidoscope of learning that ensures pupils do have a profound understanding of certain concepts from each of their subjects and that they can apply these facts in relevant contexts within and across subjects and as part of learning about how what they learn applies in their lives outside of school. I continue to pursue this theme as I write a sister publication about the secondary curriculum.
If this is powerful knowledge it is a phrase that every competent teacher is using every day in the pursuance of deepening understanding and creating the tapestry of learning that helps pupils make sense of their learning and the world around them. What makes the learning powerful is where the teacher facilitates the learning through ensuring pupils can move from describing to explaining, be able to analyse with depth of understanding and carefully evaluate and then maybe create something original to add possibilities to their learning. Not-withstanding the absolute imperative to ensure that recall, reflection and re-enforcement ensure that what is taught is well-remembered.
Knowledge and pedagogy - applying knowledge to make it powerful, exciting and meaningful
First of all, we need to be careful with the concept of power which is a concept that is within the knowledge boundaries of many subjects, power and electricity, power of rivers, volcanoes, earthquakes, power of the despot or dictator, power to make individuals think differently. If we start with the concept of power, we need to know what we mean and then use it to demonstrate that deepening knowledge and understanding is complex and requires a drawing together of a range of elements that make up learning.
We have two superb courses that provide a wealth of resources, materials and the deep knowledge within our curriculum team to bring to life the theory and the practice and create innovative learning opportunities.
The programmes of study within their aims and purpose of study as well as the statutory guidance go beyond subject knowledge and require depth of understanding, opportunities for enquiry, the need to look for similarities and differences, comparisons with other concepts and so on. There is also a cross curricular imperative to embed literacy, numeracy and a wide range of thinking or learning skills and a whole raft of social, moral, spiritual and cultural education to squeeze into the process.
We need to create opportunities for professional conversations about what to teach, how to teach it, what we want pupils to understand and remember and how we can motivate and stimulate them to want to find out more. However, we also want to ensure subject leaders and their teams have time and the opportunity to share their understanding of the complex nature of the curriculum and the planned pedagogy that will deliver a high-quality education for all. There is no denying that the teaching of subject knowledge is a key factor in the planning of the curriculum but there is far more to it than factual subject knowledge.
Coaching for Subject Leaders - Implementing Seamless Curriculum Excellence, Outstanding Pedagogy and Deep Learning is a course for all those with responsibility for leading a team of subject experts.
Coaching as a powerful driver for change and challenge
Learning Cultures are the leading provider of coaching training for the education profession, we have a course to support all roles within a school or college, visit our coaching section and find out more about coaching and how through coaching, professional conversations lead to outstanding pedagogy, deep learning and a powerful process of enduring and continuing professional development.
Build time to create the innovation that is there within all of us as educators, let's harness the power of collaborative learning and bring the curriculum alive with the possibilities that the weaving of concepts, knowledge, skills and cross - curricular connections can bring.
I am always available to discuss the content of what I write or to share how much our courses and programmes support the schools we work with to continue to build excellence and improvement in all that they do. Give me a call on 01746 765076 or 07974 754241 or email me [email protected]