Education Research and Teacher Professional Development

Learning Forward Saturday

To review education research and motivate teacher professional development.

Key Takeaways

Research-Backed CPD: The session drew on findings from a multi-partner study (Tata Trust, HP Foundation, etc.) to establish that continuous professional development (CPD) is a research-backed necessity, not merely a school mandate.

Classroom Gaps: The study identified key gaps: inactive print materials (73% of classrooms), rigid seating (73%), and limited use of home languages (9%), despite high teacher proficiency (73%).

Feedback & Differentiation: Teachers' current feedback is often superficial (e.g., "Good"), and differentiation is rare (30% of teachers). The research recommends targeted strategies like flexible grouping and scaffolded tasks.

Oral Language Focus: The study found that language teaching relies on rote copying. The group discussed shifting to open-ended questions that require inference and prediction to develop critical thinking.

Topics

Motivation for Professional Development

The session's goal was to shift the perception of Learning Forward Saturday from a mandatory event to a research-driven necessity for improving teaching.

The discussion focused on a study by partners including Tata Trust, HP Foundation, and Quality Education Support Trust to provide an evidence-based foundation for this work.

Classroom Environment & Interaction

Findings:

Print-rich materials are common but often at inaccessible heights.

Seating is rigid (73% in rows/columns), limiting interaction.

Student talk is minimal, with few opportunities for free conversation.

Home languages are rarely used (9% of teachers), hindering comprehension.

Recommendations:

Place print materials at eye-level and use them actively.

Adopt flexible seating to foster collaboration.

Strengthen teacher-child relationships to build student confidence.

Consistently use home languages to improve participation.

Discussion:

Brinda noted the NEP also recommends using mother tongue for clarity.

The group agreed immersive language exposure is more effective than translation.

Brinda shared a personal anecdote of a child learning four languages simultaneously through immersion.

Lesson Planning & Delivery

Findings:

Teachers rarely monitor work during tasks.

Feedback is superficial and lacks guidance for improvement.

Questioning is often whole-class, eliciting choral responses.

Differentiation is rare (used by only 30% of teachers).

Recommendations:

Use regular observation to identify errors and adjust instruction.

Provide specific, actionable feedback with clear steps for improvement.

Use varied checks for understanding (e.g., asking individuals to explain).

Implement targeted strategies like flexible grouping and scaffolded tasks.

Discussion:

Sunita shared a feedback system using "Good," "Very Good," and "Increase Effort" stamps.

Brinda stressed the need for clear instructions to prevent misunderstandings.

Manjula suggested seating struggling students at the front for more attention.

Brinda advised investigating the root cause of learning difficulties and challenging bright students to prevent boredom.

Neelashi suggested having students create puzzles to develop problem-solving skills and foster compassion.

Language Teaching Practices

Findings:

Oral language activities rarely use real-life experiences or open-ended questions.

Decoding instruction is unsystematic.

Independent reading lacks teacher guidance (only 18% of teachers provide it).

Writing tasks are mostly rote copying (blackboard/textbook).

Recommendations:

Connect oral language activities to familiar contexts.

Use open-ended questions to encourage prediction, inference, and deeper thinking.

Discussion:

The group defined open-ended questions as those with no single "right" answer, requiring students to explain their reasoning.

Minakshi gave an example: "Why do we need to study school?" vs. a closed question like "Is this right or wrong?"

Next Steps

Neelashi: Share the research document link with all teachers.

Neelashi: Schedule the next session to continue the discussion.

Minakshi: Share the "Kachua and Khargosh" (Tortoise and Hare) story video with the group.

Productive Failure @ Scientific Probing - Rajni Dhondiyal

 

Rajni Dhondiyal- assignment 4 by Manisha Khanna

Rajni Dhondiyal- assignment 5 by Manisha Khanna.   

The strategies of intentionally designed learning tasks of failure have been highly supported by scientists and researchers. Failure has frequently been reframed by them as a necessary component of discovery and a springboard to achievement rather than as a conclusion. This idea is consistent with the educational philosophy of constructive failure, which holds that learning from failures can often be more effective than achieving success right away.

Rajni Dhondiyal, Sunbeam Suncity

Moral Development And Reasoning

Brewing Knowledge Fridays

November 14, 2025  

To discuss moral development, socialisation, and effective teaching strategies.

Key Takeaways

• Kohlberg's theory is culturally limited. It fails to capture non-Western moral principles (e.g., ahimsa) and may measure verbal justification rather than actual moral development, explaining why few individuals reach its "post-conventional" stage.
• Empathy is innate, but guilt is a learned conflict. Research shows young children are born with empathy, but causing harm creates a conflict between helping and self-distress (the root of guilt), which is shaped by adult discipline.
• "Other-oriented reasoning" is the most effective teaching tool. It fosters empathy, works even when adults are absent, and promotes reconciliation. In contrast, "power assertion" (through threats and punishment) is counterproductive, fostering anger and dependency.
• Moral development is shaped by social context. Children in "toxic social environments" may learn that power, not fairness, dominates. However, strong community ties can provide a buffer, fostering moral strength even in poverty.

Topics

• Kohlberg's Theory & Cultural Limitations
• Kohlberg's theory, based on the "Heinz dilemma," proposes a universal sequence of moral reasoning stages:
• Pre-conventional: Self-interest, fear of punishment.
• Conventional: Upholding laws, social order.
• Post-conventional: Abstract ethical principles.

Critiques:

Cultural Bias: Fails to capture non-Western principles.

Jyotsna Vasudev & Raymond Hummel found that Indians use principles like ahimsa (sacredness of life) and prioritise social issues over individual lives.

Methodological Flaw: May measure verbal justification, not actual moral development.

This explains why few people worldwide reach the "post-conventional" stage.

Innate Elements of Morality

Evolutionary arguments suggest humans have both aggressive (e.g., grabbing toys) and cooperative instincts.

Empathy: Present from birth; babies match emotional expressions and cry in response to others' distress.

Marion Radke-Yarrow's Study (1-year-olds):

Children increasingly responded to distress with pro-social acts (hugging, helping) and empathic concern.

When children caused the distress, they still helped but also showed more enjoyment, aggression, and self-distress (crying).

Conclusion: Early helping stems from empathy, not remorse. The conflict between empathy and causing harm is the root of guilt.

Socialization & Internalization

Internalisation: The process by which external rules become internal values.

Effective Discipline (Grusec & Goodnow):

Requires accurate perception and acceptance of the adult's viewpoint.

Must be flexible (contingent on situation/temperament) but not inconsistent.

"Other-oriented reasoning" is most effective. It builds empathy and encourages repair.

Ineffective Discipline ("Power Assertion"):

Threats, force, or withdrawing affection.

Negative Outcomes: Insecurity, anger, aggression, and dependency on the adult's presence for moral behaviour.

Social Context & Moral Development

William Arsenio's Research ("Toxic Social Environments"):

Children in disadvantaged Western contexts may learn that power, not fairness, dominates, leading to aggression.

Robert Coles's Research (Poverty):

Found moral strength (e.g., not wronging others, caring for the helpless) in children from Brazilian favelas.

Hypothesis: Strong family and community ties can provide a buffer against the negative effects of social injustice.

Next Steps

All Participants:

• Reflect on personal experiences with "other-oriented reasoning" in adult relationships.
• Consider the factors that prevent students from reporting a teacher's scoring error.

Neelashi M:

Continue reading the book, "What did you ask at school today?" in the next session.

AI-generated notes 

Turning Direct Instruction on its Head

Masterclass Session with Sandeep Dutt

As educators, we often face a dilemma: Should we pursue direct instruction or embrace the uncertainty of productive failure?

Pressed for time, and sometimes driven by the belief that students can't learn without explicit guidance, many of us default to direct instruction. But in doing so, are we boxing their thinking, limiting their potential to explore, connect, and construct meaning independently?

Can productive failure truly work in all situations?

Which approach actually leads to deeper, transferable learning?

We will explore these questions together as we delve into Chapter 2, "The Solution—Productive Failure,"  from Manu Kapur's acclaimed book Productive Failure.

The dynamic book discussion will help you reflect, rethink, and redesign learning that empowers students to think beyond instructions.

Summary of the session

Sandeep introduced the Teachers Academy Blog and discussed the concept of productive failure in learning, contrasting it with direct instruction and explaining its potential benefits for students' conceptual understanding and problem-solving abilities. He outlined the key elements of designing robust experiments to compare teaching methods and emphasised the importance of statistical significance and effect size in research findings. The session concluded with a discussion on the effectiveness of combining inquiry and direct instruction for deep learning, and the importance of how foundational knowledge is acquired for creativity and understanding.

Key Takeaways

Chapter 2: THE SOLUTION: PRODUCTIVE FAILURE 

1. Direct Instruction trumps pure discovery learning. But that does not make Direct Instruction the most optimal learning model.

2. Productive Failure designs for and bootstraps failure for learning. Even though students fail at solving problems targeting concepts they have not learned yet, the failure is designed to prepare them to learn from subsequent instruction.

3. Productive Failure trumps Direct Instruction. Robust evidence shows that Productive Failure produces significantly better understanding and transfer outcomes than Direct Instruction.

4. Making learning easy does not necessarily make it easy. There is a time for failing and a time for telling.

Understanding and Cognitive Engagement in Learning

The May 3rd, 2025, inspiring Masterclass explores the essential elements of an impactful professional learning program in schools. This is an incredible chance to boost your teaching skills and transform your classroom experience.

This meeting covered various aspects of My Good School's educational programs, including attendance tracking, diverse learning activities, and the importance of developing expertise in teaching. The discussion emphasized the significance of deep understanding and cognitive engagement in learning, highlighting the challenges faced by novices and the role of prior knowledge in effective learning. The meeting also explored research methodologies and data collection techniques, encouraging participants to apply these concepts in their own teaching and professional development.

We enthusiastically recommend "Productive Failure" by Dr. Manu Kapur as a fantastic resource for our Professional Learning Program. This insightful book encourages educators to reconnect with their passion and purpose in teaching, enhancing engagement and effectiveness in their roles. Don’t miss this fantastic opportunity for personal and professional growth!

#HappyTeachers support #MyGoodSchool

Meline Grigoryan "I am passionate about Education...

Learning Forward Podcast 21st Nov 2020 

Episode#52: Sandeep Dutt on a conversation with Meline Grigoryan, an Armenian based education researcher and trainer. She is the Manager of Education Programs at Children of Armenia Fund, Yerevan (COAF) a non-profit organization seeking to advance rural communities by improving education, healthcare, economic development, and village life. With 12 years of experience in education and research, Meline believes that education should be fulfilled with positive and motivational aspects. Meline has gained her experience in the education field being a teacher, teacher trainer, program manager, author and more. She has pursued her Bachelor’s philology and pedagogy, Masters in Public Administration and PhD in Inclusive education Management from Brusov State University (Yerevan). With her skills in Strategic Planning, Higher Education, Languages, Marketing Communications and Inclusive education, she is working to give wings to teachers, as she feels they need to be flexible and be ready to bring about change. With a tradition of well-being and happiness, communities can overcome any challenge.  As Hundred Ambassador, she is a changemaker and a very compassionate person, working to make the world a better place for the generations to come.

You will love the stories shared by our happy teachers and passionate educators. We grow the capacity of your people to improve student achievement and transform your school into a culture of trust and collaboration in less time with fewer resources. Each person in your school contributes to the culture of your school. School culture is built on the actions and interactions of the people. You make your school stronger by adding value to others and making others feel valued. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/learningforward/support

RP Devgan: Draft NEP 2019

Draft Education Policy 2019

Finally, there is a deep concern for falling numbers among Science Research Scholars.

In a Nation where the majority of students studying Science at the Secondary level study it with no passion or love for it but just because certain careers demand it.No wonder there is a shortage of Research Scholars, it is inevitable. We have to change the way Science is taught at the Middle School level.

To make students curious and excited Science has to be taken from the Classrooms to the laboratories and Outdoors. At present, it is all theory and no application. By the time Children reach the Higher Secondary level, there should be a fair amount of students who show a passion for it, passion enough to commit themselves for Higher studies and eventually Research.

If Education is to have any chance of giving to the Society intelligent, compassionate and considerate human beings then the thousands of Institutes thriving on Tuitions must go, be banned. Kota is a great example as are the Major Private Institutions preparing students for IITs and Medical Colleges. These Institutions have started targetting children from Class 6 by offering them Scholarships.

It's just the opposite of holistic education a child needs. It's dose after dose, day in and day out of theory in packed classrooms. Children don't get to see the light of day.No reading, no exercise but just making a beeline to qualify for the entrance examination. We have started producing neurotic Children who have no childhood. Many children who cannot take the pressure and stress get into a depression and the thought of failure drives some to suicide.

It's about time the Government does something to stop this tuition racket and its mercenaries running it.

Mr Rajinder Pal Devgan, Chairman of Learning Forward India. 
Email rpdevgan@gmail.com

SKILLS: boundaries to your growth!

In today's globalized world, competition and technological change require continuous skill development. Skills development is a necessary step in getting to where we want to be. With every new result you want to achieve, there are new skills you need to learn, new skills you need to develop. There is really no ‘magic’, ‘miracle’ or ‘quick fix’ behind it. If you try to skip the stage of learning, you become limited in what you can achieve. You will end up failing or achieving mediocre results.

For example, if you want to be an English writer, you need to master your fundamental skill first – your command of the English language. You can’t go far in your ambitions if you have problems with fundamental tenses, grammar and vocabulary.

The skills which you have define the boundaries you operate in. The more skills you learn and the more developed you are in those skills, the greater your capacity to perform. This means better results. By developing your skills, you literally expand your own boundaries. These boundaries can be as big as you want – they are defined by you.

BUT  HOW TO START DEVELOPING SKILLS?

Break it down into smaller steps.

The process of skills development can be a daunting task, especially if it’s a new, high chunk skill. For example,  starting a new business. Business management involves a whole series of different skills, such as project management, time management, leadership, problem solving, and so on. If that’s the case, break this down into mini steps. What is the first step you need to take to embark on this? Direct all your efforts into getting that first step into place, then move on to your second step. You will find things are much easier to handle that way.

Learn from the best.

It’s easiest to learn from the people who have been there before. Identify the people out there who are already experts in the skills you want to develop. Observe them. Model them if you want an exact same output. If you know them, approach them for assistance. Ask them to be your mentors. Seek guidance. 

Research – Read up.

There is tons of excellent material out there with information waiting to be lapped up. Start off by researching on the internet. Read books related to the subject. Watch related videos.

Attend trainings.

Trainings, seminars and workshops are great sources to quickly develop skills. Depending on the quality of the training, trainings can sometimes be a one stop shop for the kind of skills you are developing. They serve as concentrated sources of information that is already organized and structured into a series of programs. The intensity of such events and the combined common intentions of the participants enable you to move forward much faster than if you were to do it alone.

Get into action – Do it.

There is no better way to learn than to get right into thick of things and do it. Strategizing and planning are important, but at some point you need to start executing the plans. When you start doing, you get immediate feedback on your progress and whether it fits with your expectations. Until you try it, it will always remain in your mind as a hypothesis. Doing things closes all the ‘what ifs’ and creates momentum to move forward.

Matrix of Youth Development (MoYD)- The Award is fully inclusive

A research project on major youth development organisations or programmes operating in the region has been undertaken for the regional office by Garry Chamberlain from Consultgroup. The Information was compiled in the form of a Matrix of Youth Development “MoYD” with 17 focus areas. The research has highlighted that the International Award for Young People is clearly the only fully inclusive programme. It further found that all organisations identified as examples under the 17 categories would readily be markets for the Award. International Award research objectives and plans will also be discussed at the RBM 2011. View the Matrix online now for further information.
- Asia Pacific Region e-newsletter December 2010 issue