Adaptive Teaching - The CLF Mental Model

In this post we explore our emerging mental model for adaptive teaching. The information below has been developed through conversation and collaboration with various CLF networks and external experts. The aim of the mental model is to provide a helpful level of structure and shared understanding that teachers and leaders can then contextualise and enhance in their settings.

Adaptive Teaching Video

What?

Adaptive Teaching is key to achieving Inclusive Excellence; High Expectations in every classroom and represents an approach that is essential for some and useful for all. It requires teachers to:

• Utilise their pupil and curriculum knowledge to anticipate barriers and adaptation during planning.
• Responsively assess and adapt to meet needs during teaching.
• Review learning and emerging needs to inform future design and delivery.

Why?

Adaptive teaching can improve learning for all and in particular it serves to:

• Maintain High Expectations: Adaptive teaching rejects the creation of attainment ceilings, fixed groupings or pre-determined limitations.
• Promote Equity: By tailoring support to individual needs, adaptive teaching helps ensure that all pupils, regardless of their starting point, engage with learning and make progress.
• Increase Engagement: Pupils are more likely to stay engaged when the material is accessible and appropriately challenging
• Meet Diverse Needs: It is an inherently inclusive approach that recognises the diverse starting points, learning paces, and support needs of every pupil, including those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

How?

PLANNING

Effective adaptive teaching begins prior to a lesson or learning sequence where teachers use their knowledge of the curriculum and subject pedagogy to anticipate potential misconceptions, specific vocabulary and points of difficulty that may require adaptation. Teachers combine this with their understanding of their pupil’s prior knowledge, attainment, SEND and EAL needs and their own insights to adapt the lessons. Adaptations at this stage may include changes to lesson design and learning environment, the creation of scaffolds and flexible groupings as well as the use of technology and manipulatives.

TEACHING

During lessons, teachers use a range of assessment techniques to check for understanding and identify any required adaptations.

Assessment techniques:

• Questioning – Teacher uses verbal prompts to check depth and breadth of knowledge
• Testing – Pupils complete formal or informal quizzes or assignments
• Observation – Teacher watches pupils work or perform practically
• Discussion – Teacher listens to pupil dialogue and individual contributions
• Output – Pupils create artefacts that demonstrate knowledge and skill

The information gathered by teachers during their assessment then directs the adaptations they make to meet the emerging need.

Responsive adaptations:

Teachers can adapt their instruction by altering the way they explain or model information, with examples and non-examples and through additional guided and independent practice.

Teachers can support pupil cognition and metacognition through strategies for thinking about, organising and ​remembering content and for planning, monitoring and evaluating learning.

Teachers can provide scaffolding through temporary visual, verbal or written support such as prompts, graphic organisers, templates and memory strategies.

Teachers can use flexible grouping to provided targeted support, facilitate collaboration and enhance engagement and motivation.

Teachers can utilise technology to enhance explanations, modelling and accessibility.

REVIEWING

The third element of the adaptive teaching cycle requires teachers to reflect on the lesson or learning sequence and refine its design and delivery.

Reflective Questions:

1. Was my curriculum knowledge sufficient to anticipate difficulties?
2. Was my pupil knowledge sufficient to meet established needs?
3. Were my planned adaptations successful in meeting established needs?
4. Did my assessments during the lesson successfully check understanding of all pupils?
5. Did my responsive adaptations maintain high expectations?
6. Did my responsive adaptations effectively meet emerging needs?
7. What emerging needs do I need to factor into future planning?
8. What refinements do I need to make to lesson design?
9. What refinements do I need to make to lesson delivery?

Further Study

The shift to adaptive teaching – Chartered College of Teaching – LINK

Impact Journal - Adaptive teaching and inclusive pedagogy articles - LINK

Five a day: supporting high-quality teaching for pupils with SEND – LINK

EEF blog: Five-a-day for pupils with SEND – a cluster of adaptive approaches - LINK

Deployment of Teaching Assistants - LINK

Special Educational Needs in Mainstream Schools – LINK