School supports learning
School supports learning is a research-based measure from the Tell Them From Me surveys. It is a source of evidence linked to What works best and the School Excellence Framework.
What is it?
Effective teachers supports student learning by being knowledgeable of and updating to their students' needs. Teachers can also support learning by having high expectations for all students.
The Tell Them From Me surveys ask parents about their impressions of teachers' expectations of their child, including the extent to which teachers expect diligence in schoolwork and understand the needs and interest of individual students. The results are reported as the average score for school support learning.
Why is it important?
Teacher beliefs and expectations can influence student's self-perceptions and, consequently, their academic outcomes. Student engagement levels can be increased when teachers help students understand the relevance of schoolwork in relation to their interests and goals. Differentiation is also important for ensuring that diverse learning needs are met and all students have the opportunity to succeed.
School improvement links
| School Excellence Framework element | What works best theme |
|---|---|
| High expectations | High expectations |
| Curriculum |
Evidence base
Assor, A., Kaplan, H., & Roth, G. (2002). Choice is good, but relevance is excellent: Autonomy‐ enhancing and suppressing teacher behaviours predicting students' engagement in schoolwork. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 72(2), 261-278.
Benner, A. D., & Mistry, R. S. (2007). Congruence of mother and teacher educational expectations and low-income youth's academic competence. Journal of Educational Psychology, 99(1), 140-153.
Epstein, J. L., Sanders, M. G., Simon, B. S., Salinas, K. C., Jansorn, N. R., & Van Voorhis, F. L. (2002). School, family, and community partnerships: Your handbook for action (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
Porter, A. C., & Brophy, J. (1988). Synthesis of research on good teaching: Insights from the work of the institute for research on teaching. Educational Leadership, 45(8), 74-85.
Rubie‐Davies, C. M. (2006). Teacher expectations and student self‐perceptions: Exploring relationships. Psychology in the Schools, 43(5), 537-552.
Tomlinson, C. A., Brighton, C., Hertberg, H., Callahan, C. M., Moon, T. R., Brimijoin, K., Conover, L. A., & Reynolds, T. (2003). Differentiating instruction in response to student readiness, interest, and learning profile in academically diverse classrooms: A review of literature. Journal for the Education of the Gifted, 27(2-3), 119-145.
Explainers of the Tell Them From Me measures have been produced in collaboration with The Learning Bar. The Tell Them From Me measures are provided by, and remain the intellectual property of, The Learning Bar. The explainers can also be found online within the Tell Them From Me portal. Tell Them From Me and TTFM are trademarks of The Learning Bar.