In this Unit we focus on whether the pupils have learnt anything from their lesson and whether the lesson was educationally worth learning?

There are many factors that determine whether learning takes place in any particular lesson. Pupils’ motivation to learn is obviously one key factor, as is the appropriateness of the lesson content and pedagogy, given the age and ability of the pupils. Also, whether pupils are able to keep pace with the lesson, the extent to which pupils are able to relate what they are expected to learn to their previous learning, and whether they are aided in constructing their own thoughts and ideas about the lesson topic.

These factors provide important clues when conducting pre-lesson conferences to judge whether learning is likely to take place. They are also helpful indicators when conducting the post-lesson conference immediately after a lesson, before the results of tests and student interviews are able to provide more solid evidence.

One major reason why pupils fail to learn is that the object of learning is not clear. Put simply, the 'object of learning' seeks an answer to the basic question: "what precisely are the pupils meant to learn in this lesson?" An important aspect of mentoring and supporting novice teachers is to help them articulate their answer to that question as clearly and unambiguously as possible. Experienced teachers also need to be constantly aware of this question, lesson by lesson. It is therefore an extremely important question to ask when conducting pre and post-lesson conferences.

Once the object of learning has been clearly formulated, we are in a much better position to ask whether it is educationally worthwhile. Whether, for example, the lesson content is relevant to the pupils’ age and ability levels, whether it clearly relates to the curriculum context, including its place within the overall scheme of work, whether it is academically sound, of practical importance, or whether it is really quite trivial.