Adaptive teaching means
that teachers adapt their teaching to make it appropriate for all
students in their classroom. Adaptive teaching is an
approach aimed at achieving a common instructional goal with learners whose
individual differences, such as prior achievement, aptitude, or learning styles
differ.
This has replaced the
term 'differentiation' quite recently which implied that teachers should create
distinct tasks for different groups of students within the classroom. Adaptive
teaching moves away from the idea of labeling individuals and groups according
to their ability, instead it is centered on the idea that teachers
have high expectations for every pupil in their care. Within the
practice of effective adaptive teaching, all learners experience the same high
expectations set out by the teacher, with differing layers of support, to help
them make good progress in studies as well as in future.
Adaptive
teaching is vital in ensuring that all learners achieve the best possible
outcomes. Adaptive teaching:
Adaptive
teaching is indeed a crucial element in ensuring that every learner is able to
maximize their learning potential. The success of any adaptive teaching
strategy relies on the creation of a positive learning environment. This will
help to provide a warm and inclusive atmosphere, where all students are
respected, valued and understand their role in cultivating positive behaviour
for learning.
The
first element of adaptive teaching lies in Curriculum Development. Curriculum development committees can work to develop
curriculum that is flexible and adaptable to the needs of individual learners.
This can include providing multiple pathways for learning, incorporating
real-world problem-solving tasks, and ensuring that learning objectives are
aligned with the needs and interests of the learners.
The second element is Effective
Curriculum Planning. Where the curriculum is well planned and considers the
progression of skills across the age ranges, the need for in-the-moment
adaptive teaching strategies will decrease – as teachers will have already
considered the many barriers and challenges learners may face, and planned and
resourced accordingly. When considering the needs of all learners, teachers should not remove
challenge entirely. Challenge is an essential aspect of learning. It
needs to be present and pitched correctly.
The third element is Teacher
Training. Schools and teacher training institutions can provide ongoing
professional development opportunities that focus on strategies for adaptive
teaching. This can include training on how to differentiate instruction,
personalize learning, and use formative assessments to inform instruction.
Teacher trainers can also provide support and coaching to help teachers apply
these strategies in the classroom. This may be, for example, through
the use of targeted teacher or TA support, pre-teaching vocabulary, releasing
lesson content online early, or providing audio summaries or lesson
introductions before the lesson.
The
fourth element is Textbook
Publishing. Textbook publishers can develop
materials that are designed to support adaptive teaching. This can include providing
a variety of learning resources and activities, including digital resources,
and designing materials that can be easily modified to meet the needs of
individual learners.
Fifth
element is Assessment, which is an essential aspect of adaptive teaching
as it helps to steer teaching and learning to improve outcomes. Formative and summative
assessments can be used to inform in-the-moment adaptations and
future planning. By gaining a snapshot of learners’ current understanding, the
teacher can use a range of in-the-moment adaptations to address any gaps in
knowledge or areas of misunderstanding.
In-the-moment
adaptive teaching includes:
The sixth element is Evaluation.
Effective adaptive teaching also involves careful evaluation. The strategies
used must support progression if they are to be deemed effective. Teachers and
teaching assistants should have a secure understanding of the elements of high-quality teaching and
use them to best suit the needs of their learners.
The seventh element is Community
Engagement. Schools can work with community organizations and local
businesses to provide opportunities for learners to apply their learning in
real-world settings. This can include internships, mentorship programs, and
service-learning projects. These experiences can help learners to develop
skills and knowledge that are relevant to their interests and career goals.
Finally, adaptive
teaching strategies should be selected purposefully and used flexibly to ensure
the best possible outcomes for all pupils.
Prof. (Dr.) Manoj Mehrotra
Director, SMS Lucknow
