Pedagogy AT Spring Cottage
Pedagogy, pronounced peh·duh·go·jee, originates from the Greek word paidagogos, comprising of two root words: paidos (child) and agogos (leader). Today, we use the word pedagogy to mean the art or science of teaching children, but it is often confused with the curriculum itself.
Put simply, pedagogy is the way that the teacher delivers the content of the curriculum to the pupils – for example, the teaching style used and theories employed.
At Spring Cottage we have recognised that in order for our pupils to make outstanding progress across the school all staff need a secure understanding of our chosen pedagogy. This is essential for effective teaching to take place.
We believe our methods of delivery allows consistency across the school which helps children progress seamlessly across year groups, allowing a greater focus on teaching key concepts of our curriculum. Consistency of approach also allows our children to develop and employ strong learning habits as they move through the school.
The approaches laid out by the school have been chosen through the use of research, development and practice. Rosenshine and Stevens (1986) pointed out, that well chosen pedagogy is most effective where the objective is to master a body of knowledge or key skill involving clearly laid out steps. However, we also recognise that some of all of our strategies might not be effective in certain situations, therefore it is down to the professional judgements of our teachers to decide how and when to apply them in the classroom.
References
Rosenshine, B. and Stevens, R. (1986). Teaching functions. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (3rd ed., pp. 376-391). New York: Macmillan.
