Praise ‘will not boost’ pupil performance. So what will?

Lavishing praise on pupils is unlikely to help them improve in the classroom, new research says. Instead it can have the opposite effect, leaving them frustrated and thinking that teachers had low expectations of their ability to start with.

The study, by Durham University for the Sutton Trust, has challenged preconceptions of modern teaching. Professor Robert Coe, one of the report’s authors, says assessing effective teaching is difficult because exactly how pupils learn remains a mysterious subject.

Below are six teaching methods – three overrated, three underrated. Has the study got it right? Which methods would you prefer?

No evidence: praising children

Praise which is meant to be encouraging and protective of low-achieving students can project a message of the teacher’s low expectations, the report finds. In some cases, if children are criticised for doing badly in a project, they can take this as an indication that their teacher believes in their abilities.

No evidence: streaming

There is little evidence that grouping students by ability, either by putting students in different classes or separating them within lessons, makes a difference to their results. The study suggests it can even pose the threat of tricking teachers into believing pupils are all of a similar standard – something that is rarely the case.

No evidence: re-reading and highlighting

The study suggests that encouraging pupils to re-read and highlight key information to memorise ideas has little impact. If anything, they give a satisfying – but deceptive – feeling of fluency and familiarity with the material, one that can quickly evaporate.

Evidence for: strong subject knowledge

Inspiration is empowering. Teachers with strong subject knowledge and understanding have a bigger impact on students’ learning, making this one of the key ways of improving results, the study found.

Evidence for: effective questioning

“Effective questioning” of pupils and assessing skills appropriately are among the skills valued in an overall teaching style that provided a high “quality of instruction”.

Evidence for: class control and environment

A teacher’s abilities to manage students’ behaviour with clear rules that are consistently enforced, as well as coordinating classroom resources and space, are all conducive to good learning, the study suggests.