Learning studies: Development and impact

In this chapter, we described how the theoretical framework of the project was implemented in two schools and illustrated how it worked, from the perspective of the learners, to cater for individual differences in learning in the following ways: • Improving curriculum by identifying objects of learning which are most worthwhile for students, and the aspects/features associated with those objects of learning which are critical for the students of different needs to grasp them; • Helping every child to acquire the critical aspects by studying how these can be taught and learnt well, and thus enabling further learning to take place; • Establishing a professional knowledge base of teaching that informs curriculum development across years and across grade levels, which facilitates coherent and meaningful learning; • Enhancing teachers' understanding of students as well as their subject knowledge through engaging in Learning Study cycles; • Increasing teachers' sensitivity in bringing about the intended learning outcomes by supporting teachers' collaboration and lesson observation in using pattern(s) of variation (V3) that take into account the variation in students' understanding of the subject matter (V1), and in teachers' ways of handling the object of learning (V2); • Developing teachers' capability in using diagnostic assessment to find out the learning difficulties or needs that their students might have in learning particular content; • Providing teachers with an alternative view of how students learn and what causes differences in students' learning outcomes, which helps them focus on the object of learning and how to structure relevant experiences, thus allowing learning to take place. In Chapter 5, we illustrate with two cases, one from each of the two partnership schools, how the Learning Studies were carried out.