Introduction
Welcome to the third post in our series exploring the alignment between John Hattie’s Visible Learning research and Maths Australia’s I-CRAVE pedagogy. In this post, we will examine direct instruction, a fundamental teaching strategy, and its role in Maths Australia’s I-CRAVE framework.
Direct Instruction: Clarity and Guidance
Direct instruction is characterised by the teacher providing clear and explicit explanations, modelling, and guided practice. It involves the teacher taking a more active role in the learning process to ensure that students have a solid foundation of knowledge and skills.
Hattie’s Visible Learning research acknowledges the effectiveness of direct instruction when applied appropriately. It’s emphasised that clarity of learning intentions and success criteria are vital components of effective teaching. “The major finding is to ensure intentional alignment of all the lesson(s) parts. The starting point is identifying the content and understanding.” This involves:
- Clearly defining the learning goals.
- Explicitly teaching skills and concepts.
- Providing step-by-step guidance.
- Modelling examples for students.
- Facilitating guided practice.
I-CRAVE: Integrating Direct Instruction
Maths Australia’s I-CRAVE methodology incorporates elements of direct instruction to support student learning in mathematics. While I-CRAVE embraces a multi-sensory, constructivist approach, it also recognises the importance of explicit teacher guidance, particularly in the early stages of learning.
- Explicit Teaching of Foundational Skills: I-CRAVE recognises the importance of explicitly teaching foundational maths skills.
- Modelling and Demonstration: In the representational stage of I-CRAVE, teachers model how to represent mathematical concepts using visual aids. The text mentions that teachers modelling concepts and skills is an important aspect of explicit teaching.
- Guided Practice and Scaffolding: I-CRAVE uses guided practice as students move through the concrete, representational, and abstract stages. Teachers provide support, feedback, and scaffolding to help students develop their understanding. The importance of teachers providing opportunities for students to practice with guidance is also highlighted in the documents.
Direct Instruction and Effective Learning
Effective teaching involves a balance of different instructional approaches. Hattie’s research indicates that learning strategies are most effective when there is “intentional alignment of all the lesson(s) parts.” This means that direct instruction can be a powerful tool when combined with other strategies that promote active learning, problem-solving, and deeper understanding.
I-CRAVE aligns with this principle by integrating direct instruction within a broader framework that includes:
- Active Learning: The concrete stage of I-CRAVE involves active learning through hands-on activities.
- Conceptual Understanding: I-CRAVE emphasises the importance of moving beyond rote learning to develop a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts.
- Problem-Solving: I-CRAVE, like the problem-solving approach to mathematics outlined by Schoenfeld (2010), involves the transfer of skills and knowledge from one situation to another.
Conclusion
Direct instruction has a valuable role to play in mathematics education. Maths Australia’s I-CRAVE pedagogy incorporates direct instruction strategies to provide clarity, guidance, and support to students, particularly when introducing new concepts and skills. By combining explicit instruction with a multi-sensory and developmentally appropriate approach, I-CRAVE aligns with the principles of Visible Learning to create effective and engaging mathematics learning experiences.
In our next post, we will continue to explore the connection between Visible Learning and Maths Australia’s I-CRAVE, focusing on another key teaching strategy.
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