Inspiring Teaching: What We Can Learn from Exemplary Practitioners

This paper discusses findings from a small-scale, mixed methods study of ‘inspiring’ teaching. The study, commissioned and funded by CfBT, included case studies of a purposive sample of 17 primary and secondary teachers in England who were nominated by their head teachers as exemplary practitioners whose practice could be viewed as inspirational for their colleagues and pupils. The entire project was comprised of two phases. In the first phase, experienced inspectors visited schools to observe and interview teachers and speak with their pupils. The second phase, on which this paper focuses, was conducted by a research team from two major UK universities. The mixed methods design for this phase of the project included integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches across the data collection, analysis, and interpretation stages. Quantitative data collection methods included two research-based structured classroom observation schedules, specifically the International System of Teacher Observation and Feedback (ISTOF) and the Lesson Observation Form for Evaluating the Quality of Teaching (QoT), ranking grids listing a variety of teacher characteristics, and pupil surveys. Qualitative data sources included semi-structured teacher interviews, qualitative notes from classroom observations, and one open-response pupil survey item. Several common themes emerged across the teacher perspectives, pupil responses, and researcher observations, indicating that inspiring practice may relate to the following: positive relationships, good classroom management, positive and supportive classroom climate, formative feedback, enjoyment, and a high quality learning experience overall. Additionally, evidence from this study suggests that inspiring and effective practice are complementary; effective practices may facilitate inspiring teaching, though inspiring practice is linked to additional features beyond those associated with effective teaching. These findings have both theoretical and practical significance. Besides informing understandings about what ‘inspiring’ teaching means, the results of the project will also be disseminated among CfBT schools and teachers.