What works for raising the attainment of pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds? What is the intervention?

Cognitive approaches

What does it involve? Cognitively-oriented teaching focuses on cognitive skills (mental processes such as acquiring, remembering and using knowledge) and meta-cognitive skills (thinking and learning skills, for example activities such as planning how to approach a given educational task, monitoring comprehension, and evaluating progress toward the completion of a task are meta-cognitive in nature). Cognitive teaching approaches aim to give low attainers the opportunity to develop higher order skills (such as analysis and problem solving) as well as basic ones (such as learning facts and recall), by helping pupils improve the quality of their thinking and become independent learners.

Who has it been used for? Cognitively- oriented teaching approaches are used across different year groups for both primary and secondary aged pupils. Barley et al. (2002) reviewed 15 studies that looked at the impact of cognitively-orientated teaching for low-achieving pupils in maths and literacy. These covered a range of year groups in primary and secondary schools.

What impact does it have? Studies have found that cognitive approaches can help low attainers develop higher order skills (e.g. Barley et al., 2002; Topping and Bryce, 2004). Sharples et al (2011) recommends that programmes that include cooperative learning and teach meta-cognitive skills should be utilised to help close the attainment gap for disadvantaged pupils. Studies have found that thinking skills interventions had a positive impact on pupils attainment across a range of non-curriculum measures (such as reasoning or problem-solving)(Higgins et al. 2004). Evidence suggests that cognitively oriented teaching could have a positive impact on reading if teachers: o taught combinations of cognitive and metacognitive strategies (e.g. planning ahead and summarising); and,

o used multiple teaching approaches (e.g. modelling and explicit explanation of strategies, discussion of strategy use, and peer and independent practice); and o if students had practice summarizing what they read (Barley et al. 2002). Studies of cognitively oriented teaching in mathematics suggested that this approach could have an impact on low attainers in mathematics if: o teachers received ongoing professional development focusing on classroom implementation issues and how pupils think in mathematics; o cognitive skills were taught together with contextualised educational activities; and o pupils were given opportunities to solve problems together (Barley et al. 2002).

Where can I find out more information?

Research evidence sources: Helping At-Risk Students Meet Standards: A synthesis of evidence-based classroom practices. Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning Barley, Z., Lauer, P., Arens, S., Apthorp, H., Englert, K., Snow, D. and Akiba, M. (2002) Thinking skills approaches to effective teaching and learning: what is the evidence for impact on learners Higgins S, Baumfield V, Lin M, Moseley D, Butterworth M, Downey G, Gregson M, Oberski I, Rockett M and Thacker D (2004) In: Research Evidence in Education Library. London: EPPI-Centre, Social Science Research Unit, Institute of Education, University of London