Approaches to Adaptive Teaching – International Trends

How to best ensure that teaching across the whole school effectively deals with difference in the classroom remains a perennial question in international educational practice. This session will allow participants the space to understand, reflect and consider international debates and evidence on what constitutes best practice in effective inclusive education in mainstream settings, and how school leaders and key personnel can strategically ensure whole school improvement and development in this area. There will be a focus on understanding perspectives on and approaches to adaptive teaching and/or differentiation. This will include developing an understanding of the international evidence and effective approaches on mastery learning across the curriculum, direct instruction, and differentiated instruction and learning. There will also be a focus on Universal Design for Learning and recent evidence on the effectiveness of this approach and critical consideration of international examples of its adoption by schools and school districts.

The session will make use of a range of international case study examples exemplifying a) effective practice in the classroom, and b) approaches to leadership for collaborative whole school development for effective inclusive practice,  as well as for teacher professional development, effective working with outside agencies and professionals, and effective use of assistive and other novel technologies (including developments in Artificial Intelligence in Education [AIED]).

The session will focus on difference in terms of special educational needs but will also encompass a wider view of inclusive practice and pedagogy for difference in the classroom, particularly considering culture and language. This will include at least one case study on current applications of culturally responsive pedagogy in the context of adaptive teaching.

Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to:

• Understand current international perspectives on adaptive teaching, mastery learning, differentiation and universal design for learning across the curriculum
• Understand how to locate adaptive teaching within a wider view of inclusive pedagogy that promotes a whole school approach to ensuring that all teachers have high expectations for the learning and progress of all students
• Reflect on the range of learning needs and potential barriers to learning in their schools across cognitive and physical domains, as well as across the domains of culture and language.
• Understand how to sustain effective curriculum planning across the school that supports the delivery of adaptive teaching to meet the needs of all students

Target Audience: Key Personnel and School Leaders