How do you prove your teaching improves student learning?

1 Define your goals

The first step to prove your teaching improves student learning is to define your goals and expectations for your students. What do you want them to learn and achieve by the end of the course or unit? How will you measure their learning and performance? What are the standards and criteria that you will use to assess their work? By clarifying your goals and expectations, you can align your teaching methods and activities with your learning outcomes and design appropriate assessment tasks and tools.

2 Collect evidence

The second step to prove your teaching improves student learning is to collect evidence of your students' learning and achievement. Evidence can come from various sources, such as tests, quizzes, assignments, projects, portfolios, presentations, surveys, feedback, observations, and self-reports. You can use both formative and summative assessment methods to gather evidence of your students' progress and mastery of the learning outcomes. You can also use pre- and post-tests or surveys to measure your students' prior knowledge and skills and compare them with their final results.

3 Analyze evidence

The third step to prove your teaching improves student learning is to analyze the evidence that you have collected. You can use quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze the data and identify patterns, trends, gaps, strengths, and weaknesses in your students' learning and achievement. You can also compare the results with your goals and expectations and evaluate how well your students met the standards and criteria. You can use various tools and techniques to analyze the evidence, such as rubrics, scoring guides, checklists, graphs, charts, tables, statistics, or software.

4 Reflect on evidence

The fourth step to prove your teaching improves student learning is to reflect on the evidence and what it tells you about your teaching effectiveness. You can use the evidence to examine your teaching methods and strategies and how they supported or hindered your students' learning and achievement. You can also use the evidence to identify your own strengths and areas for improvement as a teacher and how you can enhance your professional development. You can use various models and frameworks to guide your reflection, such as the Gibbs cycle, the Schon model, or the Brookfield lenses.

5 Share evidence

The fifth step to prove your teaching improves student learning is to share the evidence and your reflections with others. You can share your evidence and reflections with your colleagues, peers, mentors, supervisors, or evaluators and seek their feedback, suggestions, or recognition. You can also share your evidence and reflections with your students and involve them in the assessment and evaluation process. You can use various formats and platforms to share your evidence and reflections, such as reports, portfolios, blogs, podcasts, videos, or presentations.

6 Act on evidence

The sixth and final step to prove your teaching improves student learning is to act on the evidence and your reflections and make changes or adjustments to your teaching practice. You can use the evidence and your reflections to plan and implement new or improved teaching methods and strategies that better suit your students' needs and preferences and help them achieve the learning outcomes. You can also use the evidence and your reflections to set new or revised goals and expectations for yourself and your students and monitor and evaluate their progress and achievement.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?