This educational researcher has made a huge impact in the world of educational research and is referenced widely in blogs, articles, textbooks and assignments worldwide. Who is he and what are his main findings? What makes him so influential?
Robert Marzano is an educational researcher in the U.S.A. He is the CEO of Marzano research, based in Colorado and also the Executive Director of Learning Sciences at the Marzano Centre in Florida. He co-wrote ‘Classroom Instruction that works’ in 2001, focusing on student behaviour and strategies to improve attainment and achievement. In 2003, he co-authored ‘Classroom Management that works’, further examining behaviour management strategies. He has contributed towards over 50 books in this field of education.
What are Marzano’s central thoughts?
Marzano has carried out extensive research in the area of effective teaching and learning. According to the findings, effective teachers:
- Set goals
- Provide feedback
- Help students interact with new knowledge
- Provide low-stakes competition
- Engage with students, allow them to talk about themselves – notice when they are not engaged
- Establish and maintain class rules
- Maintain relationships with students
- Communicate high expectations
Following this research, he put together an instructional framework, comprising four domains: Classroom strategies and behaviours, preparing and planning, reflecting on teaching and collegiality and professionalism. Let’s explore these further.
- Classroom strategies and behaviours: this covers routine, content and on-the-spot reactions. Routine is constantly reinforced as crucial for students to be safe and secure and be able to progress with their learning. For teachers, this means tracking students’ learning, giving feedback and target setting, amongst other things. The content must be carefully planned, and ‘on-the-spot’ refers to the sophisticated changes that the teacher must make in order to keep students engaged and learning. These quick reactions can make all the difference.
- Preparing and planning: Marzano goes into detail about use of resources and technology and taking into account special educational needs. In short, this section focuses on the importance of preparation and planning to make effective decisions and the most progress possible.
- Reflecting on teaching: teachers should be constantly reflecting – self-aware of their practices. There should always be a ‘professional growth plan’ – a plan of CPD which might include observing others or peer observations.
- Collegiality and professionalism: this domain is crucial to facilitate the ideal environment for learning. If the setting is a positive and reflective place, with all staff keen to learn and grow, it will be a successful place of learning.
Marzano and behaviour management
Dominance is the centre to Marzano’s findings. This sounds a little more threatening than it really is! He found that appropriate levels of dominance in the classroom from the teacher are necessary for effective learning. In ‘The Key to Classroom Management’ (2003), he listed these behaviours from the teacher as necessary:
- Exhibiting appropriate levels of dominance
- Exhibiting appropriate levels of cooperation
- Being aware of high-needs students
Marzano posits that if you have all three of these as a teacher, your behaviour management will be fully effective.
Dominance
This is not about control or asserting yourself in a forceful way. This is about giving clear guidance, establishing clear routines and learning goals and setting up clear expectations. Body language should be assertive without being aggressive.
Cooperation
This is about teamwork between the student and the teacher. Clearly, there needs to be a good relationship to put this into practice – a suitable level of dominance should be established first. Once this has happened, teachers need to show interest in each student – remembering a fact about a football match or a family occasion can really help. Greeting students and using eye contact and assertive but friendly body language will go a long way.
High-needs students
If you have established yourself as dominant in a positive way in the classroom and you have built relationships with all students, you will also be aware of their individual needs. These must be acknowledged, planned for and adaptations made. This is not always a special education need, but it can be a need such as perfectionism or anxiety. Strategies can be developed with support internally or externally – the students need to feel like you are aiming to help them.
Marzano’s suggestions
In order to develop these relationships with students and to encourage them to comply, he is a strong advocate for the use of games and healthy competition. The use of movement is encouraged also. Students being able to talk about themselves is considered positive and a great strategy to develop those relationships further. In fact, he suggests six steps to use in a teaching cycle to be able to have successful relationships with students and keep the class on side:
- Explain: make this ‘student-friendly’, ensure everyone understands.
- Restate: this ensures that everyone understands – you may need adaptations for some learners.
- Show: physical demonstrations are useful in every topic.
- Discuss: some learners need to do this, and it is useful to raise and answer questions that they may have.
- Refine and reflect: this is where differentiation can take place.
- Apply in learning games: bringing learning to life and making it fun.
Marzano has been extremely influential in this field. If we think about class rules, groupings, gamification of learning, building student relationships and more, many of these have been influenced by his research and theories which continue to this day.
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