Research Base
Strong Foundation
According to Great Schools Partnership: "When educators talk about 'proficiency-based learning,' they are referring to a variety of diverse instructional practices—many of which have been used by the world’s best schools and teachers for decades—and to organizational structures that support or facilitate the application of those practices in schools. Proficiency-based learning may take different forms from school to school—there is no universal model or approach—and educators may use some or all of the beliefs and practices of proficiency-based learning identified by the Great Schools Partnership."
"For this reason, educators are unlikely to find an abundant amount of research on 'proficiency-based learning,' per se, because the term comprises educational models and instructional approaches that share many important commonalities, but that may also vary significantly in design, application, and results (as with any educational approach, some schools and teachers do it more effectively than others). The good news, however, is that there is a huge amount of research on the foundational school structures and instructional techniques that—when systematized in a school—are called proficiency-based learning, competency-based learning, mastery-based learning, or standards-based learning, among other terms."
Click on the image above to visit Great Schools Partnership's pages that offer support for the range of practices and structures that are found within the 10 Characteristics and 5 Principles of competency-based education.
Research from the Field
Copy of Building Solid Evidence: It's Working at Lindsay Unified (2).pdfFrom the CompetencyWorks blog:
"Lindsay Unified School District in California has implemented competency-based education deeply for several years. A recent study, Building Solid Evidence – It’s Working at Lindsay Unified, provides strong positive evidence of the district’s effectiveness in improving student outcomes and school climate. Presenting compelling findings in just two pages, the report also provides a valuable model of how competency-based schools and districts can evaluate and share their outcomes.
The study is of great value to the field, given Lindsay’s status as an early adopter with more years of implementation than most competency-based education districts. They have many students from traditionally underserved groups, which also makes the district a key exemplar for the fundamental equity mission of competency-based education. Specifically, the student body is 95% Hispanic, 91% from low-income families, 41% English learners, and 24% migrant learners."
March 2, 2020
Author: Eliot Levine
Issues: Issues in Practice, Evaluate Quality
Research on Deeper Learning Capacities and Future Ready Skills/Dispositions
Research on Learner Agency
Choice
Bachman, C. (2015). Promoting student autonomy and competence using a hybrid model for teaching physical activity. International Journal of Instruction, 8(1). https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1085272.pdf
Flunger, B., Mayer, A. & Umbach, N. (2018). Beneficial for some or for everyone? Exploring the effects of an autonomy-supportive intervention in the real-life classroom. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(2), pp. 210-234.
Hanover. (2012). Best practices in personalized learning environments (Grades 4-9). https://www.hanoverresearch.com/media/Best-Practices-in-Personalized-Learning-Environments.pdf
Hofferber, N., Eckes, A. & Wilde, M. (2014). Effects of autonomy supportive vs. controlling teachers' behavior on students' achievements. European Journal of Educational Research, 3(4), pp. 177-184.
Kosky, C. & Curtis, R. (2008). An action research exploration integrating student choice and arts activities in a sixth grade social studies classroom. Journal of Social Studies Research, 32(1), pp. 22-27.
Parera, P.M.O., Delgado, M.P.N. (2015). An approach to integration: The integration of language and content to promote L2 learner autonomy at the college level. Gist Education and Learning Research Journal, 10, pp. 92-112.
Parker, F., Novak, J, & Bartell, T. (2017). To engage students, give them meaningful choices in the classroom. Phi Delta Kappan 99 (2), 37-41.
Patall, E. A., Cooper, H., & Robinson, J. C. (2008). The effects of choice on intrinsic motivation and related outcomes: A meta-analysis of research findings. Psychological Bulletin, 134(2), 270–300. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.134.2.270
Thompson, M. & Beymer, P. (2015). The effects of choice in the classroom: Is there too little or too much choice? Support for Learning, 30(2), pp. 105-120.
Williams, V., Ponting, L. & Ford, K. (2015). A platform for change? Inclusive research about 'choice and control'. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 43, pp. 106-113.