Active learning in the 16–19 classroom

One theme running through this book, and to some extent providing a rationale for it, is that the 16–19 teacher is working with an increasingly wide range of learners. Early research findings into the impact of Curriculum 2000 on teaching and learning (Hodgson and Spours 2003) suggest that, because of this, whole-class teaching can appear the only option in the 16–19 classroom. But each individual student in the class must be engaged in the 16–19 experience. This is more likely to be effective if the teacher sees themselves as a facilitator of learning, someone who sets out with the aim of guiding, stimulating and prompting all students.