INSPIRE - Independent Practice

AERO Practice guide: Mastery learning

This guide outlines key practices for using mastery learning in the classroom. 

Reflection on teacher practice - Working toward mastery learning

This checklist is a list of practical steps teachers can take to support the adoption of evidence-based practice mastery learning in their setting. 

Have I...

• developed or drawn on an existing learning progression in line with my curriculum document/syllabus?

• used my formative assessment or existing data to identify a way to determine where my students are currently at in their learning and the correct level of challenge for them?

• broken the learning objectives down into what students should know, understand or be able to do by the end of the [lesson/week/unit]?

• established the success criteria for each of my learning objectives? (See explicit instruction for more detail on setting learning objectives.)

• sequenced tasks so that it is clear to my students how their skills and level of mastery build as they go through them?

• used formative assessment to gather data about which of my students are ready to progress and which need additional practice to master the content?

• planned some revision and enrichment activities to cater to my students who need the additional practice or extension?

• planned opportunities for my students to review the learning over time?

• reflected on what my formative assessment has told me about how students are mastering the tasks so that success criteria and learning objectives can be revised over time?

AERO Practice guide: Extend and challenge

Make it stick - podcast

To most of us, learning something “the hard way” implies wasted time and effort. Good teaching, we believe, should be creatively tailored to the different learning styles of students and should use strategies that make learning easier. Make It Stick turns fashionable ideas like these on their head. Drawing on recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and other disciplines, the authors offer concrete techniques for becoming more productive learners.