This jargon buster is designed to help demystify some of the main terms used in schools. It is an abridged and updated version of my A-Z of Educational Terms Pocketbook, which was published by Teachers' Pocketbooks in 2004. You can see the full catalogue of Teachers' Pocketbooks by visiting their website. Let me know if there's a word you think should be added to the jargon buster. 

 

 

Accelerated learning  Learning which proceeds at a faster rate, and with deeper understanding, than that normally expected using conventional teaching methods. In the last few years a range of techniques and approaches have been developed, taking into account recent knowledge of how the brain works, that allow children to learn more effectively. These include mind mapping, multiple intelligences, knowledge of learning styles and use of thinking skills.  Accelerated learning also includes the promotion of a positive learning environment, and ensures learners are in an appropriate physiological and psychological state to learn.

 

Action research  Research concerned with the everyday practical problems of teachers, rather than educational theory. Action research is often carried out by teachers themselves.

 

Active learning  Learning which stimulates children to play an active part in the learning process.

Affective learning  Learning which deals with emotions, feelings and beliefs.

 

Assessment for Learning Assessment which focuses on providing information which will help a student learn more effectively in future, rather than simply establishing the level of knowledge and understanding they have reached. The government has recently championed the role of assessment for learning as part of its various national strategies, and a guidance document giving ten principles of assessment for learning is available.

 

Attainment  Achievement as measured by an individual’s knowledge, skills and understanding in a particular area of learning.

 

Beliefs Rules we operate on at a subconscious level or of which we’re barely conscious of.  They are ideas or constructs that we no longer question.

 

Cloze  A technique used to develop literacy involving selected words being deleted from a text, and children being challenged to fill in the blanks.

 

Closed question  A question only likely to lead to a yes or no answer.

 

Cognitive  To do with the thinking part of the brain. Cognition is the act of thinking or the mental processing of information.

 

Cognitive Acceleration through Science Education (CASE) A programme of lessons in science to promote effective learning. It focuses heavily on using accelerated learning principles and developing thinking skills. Studies have shown beneficial effects in science examinations for children undertaking CASE lessons, together with improvements in English and maths results.

 

Didactic teaching A traditional method of teaching involving whole class instruction.

 

Differentiation  The process of effectively matching the needs of learners to the tasks given. For example a teacher must ensure that appropriate levels of challenge are provided to all children, so that during a lesson no child find tasks too difficult or too easy.

 

Enrichment Usually refers to the provision of extra activities within and out-of-school hours that enhance the core curriculum.

 

Fine motor skills Skills, such as holding a pen correctly or moving the lips to eat food, which require the fine manipulation of hands, feet or other parts of the body.

 

Flow A state of mind in which there is a feeling of being immersed in and carried by an activity.  The state is characterized by a lack of self-consciousness and seamless experimentation.

 

Formative assessment Assessment that provides feedback to improve teaching and learning, rather than for grading or putting in rank order.

 

Gifted A gifted child is defined by the DCSF as a child who achieves, or has the ability to achieve, significantly above their peers in their school. Gifted children are very able in one or more of the National Curriculum core subjects, or an ‘all rounder’.

 

Gross motor skills Skills involving larger movements of the limbs and body, such as running and jumping.

 

Higher order thinking skills Thinking skills which require sustained effort for most students to achieve, such as evaluation.

ICT Across the Curriculum  A government initiative to promote the use of ICT in all subject areas. The principal aim is to ensure that ICT becomes embedded in subject teaching, rather than being a discrete skill to be developed only in ICT lessons.

Inclusion The process through which a school seeks to recognize and encourage each individual, enabling them to access, participate and achieve fully.

 

Independent learning Learning which is focused on the student rather than the teacher, and which involves a degree of self-regulation by the student.

 

Individual learning plan A document which sets out the learning needs of an individual student, taking into account such things as learning style, prior knowledge and individual strengths and weaknesses.

 

Learning style The particular method of learning preferred by a child. In recent years there has been a general acceptance that learning styles fall into three categories:

 

·           Auditory – through hearing

·           Kinaesthetic – though doing

·           Visual – through seeing

 

As part of the accelerated learning approach teachers are now encouraged to vary their teaching styles to include all three types of learners.  However, care is needed to avoid labeling students as one ‘type of learner’.

 

Metacognition Understanding of how you think and reason. Sometimes referred to as ‘thinking about thinking’

 

Modelling The process whereby a teacher demonstrates how they perform a task themselves in order to help students see how it can be done effectively.

 

Multiple intelligences The theory of intelligence that maintains that people are intelligent in many ways, not just in terms of their Intelligence Quotient. Put forward by Harvard Professor Howard Gardner in the 1980s the theory suggests that people are intelligent in at least the following ways:

 

·           Interpersonal

·           Intrapersonal

·           Linguistic

·           Kinaesthetic

·           Mathematical/logical

·           Musical

·           Natural

·           Visual-Spatial

 

It has been embraced by many educational professionals and is a popular element of accelerated learning programmes.

 

Open question A question that promotes more sophisticated thinking and avoids a yes or no answer.

 

Oracy Speaking skills.

 

Peer observation The practice of teachers observing other teachers in the classroom for the purposes of professional development.

 

Pedagogy The methods used to teach.

 

Personalized learning Learning which respects the individual personalities, learning preferences and differences of students.

Plenary A part of a lesson during which the learning is reviewed, often through the extensive use of teacher questioning. During a plenary the teacher should refer to the learning objectives and allow the students to reflect on what they have learnt. Part of the DCSF recommended lesson structure.

 

Progression Ensuring that children make progress in line with their previous achievements.

 

Qualitative Relating to quality. Used mainly in the context of more subjective information gained on students’ performance by teachers, which does not easily translate into numerical information or statistical data.

 

Quantitative Relating to quantity. Used mainly to refer to information on students gained from hard data such as tests and examinations, which easily translates into numerical information or statistical data.

 

Rapport The existence between two or more people of a mutual state of openness, trust, closeness and safety.  It is characterized by a willingness to take risks, explore options and share thoughts and feelings.

Scaffolding Support provided to enable children to complete more complex tasks, typically by breaking down the task into simpler ones, or providing prompts that enable children to make step-by-step progress.

 

Starter An initial activity with which a teacher begins a lesson, and the first part of the recommended DCSF lesson structure. Starters are designed to engage interest and arouse curiosity, providing an effective basis for the lesson to follow.

 

Streaming A type of school organization where children are placed into groups according to their ability and stay in these groups for most of their lessons.

 

Summative assessment Assessment taking place at the end of a course, which aims to identify the student’s level of attainment.

Teaching style The particular teaching method used by a teacher. Studies of the most effective teachers show that they vary their teaching style to appeal to different learning styles.

Talented A child is defined by the DCSF as talented if they’re very able in art, music, physical education or performing arts. The word has also been used more generally in the past by teachers to refer to an able child. Talented children have come under the spotlight as part of the Gifted and Talented Strand of Excellence in Cities.

 

Thinking skills Skills which promote effective thinking. The government has identified five thinking skills as part of the National Curriculum: Information-processing skills; reasoning skills; enquiry skills; creative thinking skills and evaluation skills.

 

Values cluster A convenient way of describing groups of values for an individual or group of people so that comparisons can be made.  The cluster does not accurately represent the full detail or hierarchy of the individual or group values, but makes for a generic way of describing what is likely to be important to them. This is useful in planning interventions where there’s conflict between individuals.

 

Values set Collections of values in a hierarchy and which are unique to an individual.

 

Values What’s important to us. Values are constructed from complex interactions between our beliefs.

 

Writing frame A printed framework to help children write more effectively, usually involving prompts and other devices to promote thinking and planning.