Transforming teaching and learning to align with critical 21st century skills is a goal for many educators around the globe. Today’s learners need to develop cognitive and non-cognitive skills to create, collaborate, solve real-world problems, construct and represent knowledge in a range of ways, including digitally.
For school leaders, this means building teachers’ capacity to develop these skills in students through innovative teaching approaches.
As part of Microsoft’s commitment to empower every educator to do more, we have created the new School Transformation Survey (STS) to help schools begin their education transformation and to measure their progress.
The School Transformation Survey is a free, self hosted survey that measures the perceptions of educators and leaders on the current state of innovative teaching practices in their schools or classrooms. It is a self-review and serves as an important first step in raising awareness of each school’s current state of transformation.
The report presents the results of surveys of leaders and educators. The survey measures participants’ perception of innovative teaching practices in the school, including how digital technologies are used in learning and school support for innovative practices. The goal of the survey is to provide tools for schools to measure and develop innovative teaching and learning, and to ultimately better prepare students for life and work in the 21st century. This survey is based on a broader multinational study called Innovative Teaching and Learning (ITL) Research.
Schools around the world are striving to improve students’ learning experiences through pedagogical changes and the effective use of technology. Students need skills for life and work in the 21st century that are not well developed through traditional education. Microsoft’s School Transformation Survey (STS) provides a tool that any school or system can use to measure innovative teaching practices and make progress on transforming education to meet students’ needs. The survey can be repeated by the school each year to measure progress. The objectives of the resulting report are to provide a basis for discussion and reflection within the broader school community and to inform strategic planning and professional development decisions. Each school participating in STS is invited to join the Microsoft Showcase School Program for further support along the transformation journey and to share ideas and engage in further learning with like-minded schools.
Throughout this report information and communication technologies (ICT) refers to a broad set of technology tools and resources such as computers (including laptops), mobile phones, graphing calculators, digital cameras, electronic whiteboards, other computer hardware, computer software (such as presentation software, word processors, and spreadsheets) and the Internet. The words computers, technology, and ICT are used interchangeably.
Use of the term “innovative” to describe the combination of the three teaching practices described below is intentional. Student-centered pedagogy and extending learning beyond the classroom are concepts that have very long histories. The term “innovative” in the context of this research describes combining these practices with technology to solve teaching and learning challenges in new ways. It is the combination of these pedagogical practices with technology that has the potential for real innovation.
Student-centered pedagogy includes practices of teaching and learning that are project-based, collaborative, foster knowledge-building, require self-regulation and assessment, and are both personalized (allowing for student choice and relevance to the individual student) as well as individualized (allowing students to work at their own pace and according to their particular learning needs).Each of these elements has a strong base of prior research, linking them to positive outcomes in terms of developing 21st century skills among students.
This teaching practice refers to learning activities that reflect the nature of high performing work groups in modern organizations. Learning activities extend beyond the traditional boundaries of the classroom, for example, by including individuals beyond the classroom (for example, parents, experts, community members), by providing opportunities 24/7 learning (for example, research outside the classroom), fostering cross-subject connections, and promoting global awareness and cultural understanding.
This teaching practice relates to technology use by educators and by students for learning purposes. Because the impact of information and communication technologies (ICT) can vary widely depending on its pedagogical application, this construct includes a focus on how ICT is used and not simply whether it is used. For example, the surveys distinguish between basic or rote use of technology and higher level technology use that takes better advantage of technology for deep student learning.