Pedagogy - Dulwich Prep & Senior Skip to footer Learning Pedagogy Academic Curriculum Creative Arts Sport Co-Curriculum Skills & Strategies Pedagogy From teacher-led to pupil-led, Dulwich Prep & Senior pupils are in an educational system that requires them to gain, understand and apply knowledge. For this to happen there is research to suggest that instructional methods are highly effective in increasing attainment. Building on what is already known, instructional methods combine teacher explanation and modelling with pupil practice and feedback to teach new knowledge and skills. The process commits new learning to long-term memory. Instruction is teacher-led but is not necessarily ‘traditional’ and passive; active learning, discussions, and group work, for example, are all within the remit of instructional teaching. But, rightly, we do more as teachers than embed knowledge and skills in long-term memory. Our pupils are growing up in a world which is changing rapidly and is increasingly influenced by the interaction of digital technologies, a world where value will also be placed on the human attributes of creativity, communication, critical thinking and collaboration. Effective learning in these areas (the 4 Cs) can be achieved with the use of more open-ended activities as expressed in inquiry-based learning (progressive pedagogy) where, at times, the answer is unimportant and/or unknown and where it is the skills required during the process that forms the essence and purpose of the learning experience. However, our best practice is to plan such activities only when the requisite knowledge and skills have been acquired to support a learning experience in which the scaffolds of teacher direction, modelling, and feedback are largely removed. At the heart of our teaching, we recognise that the teacher’s relationship with their pupils, their ‘teacher presence’, significantly impacts the learning experience. The ability of the teacher to bring joy and wonder to their lessons, to motivate and foster enthusiasm, and to adapt to the needs of each pupil is paramount, regardless of the pedagogical approach being adopted.