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Traditional and progressive orientations to teaching: new empirical evidence on an old debate

Author

Listed:
  • Sam Sims

    (UCL Centre for Education Policy & Equalising Opportunities)

  • John Jerrim

    (UCL Social Research Institute)

Abstract

Traditionalists argue that teachers should carefully sequence the best knowledge from their subject area and deliver it directly to the whole class. Progressives argue that teachers should instead facilitate pupils' exploration of their individual interests, thereby nurturing curiosity and thinking skills. We test these claims using fixed effect models applied to data on 1,223 pupils (age 11-14) in the German National Educational Panel Study. We find few links between pupil outcomes and their teachers' orientation. The one exception is that - contrary to progressive claims - pupils develop greater interest in learning when taught by teachers with a traditionalist orientation.

Suggested Citation

  • Sam Sims & John Jerrim, 2022. "Traditional and progressive orientations to teaching: new empirical evidence on an old debate," CEPEO Working Paper Series 22-08, UCL Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities, revised Oct 2022.
  • Handle: RePEc:ucl:cepeow:22-08
    as

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    File URL: https://repec-cepeo.ucl.ac.uk/cepeow/cepeowp22-08.pdf
    File Function: First version, 2022
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Sabine Zinn & Ariane Würbach & Hans Walter Steinhauer & Angelina Hammon, 2020. "Attrition and selectivity of the NEPS starting cohorts: an overview of the past 8 years [Ausfall und Selektivitäten in den NEPS Startkohorten: ein Überblick über die letzten 8 Jahre]," AStA Wirtschafts- und Sozialstatistisches Archiv, Springer;Deutsche Statistische Gesellschaft - German Statistical Society, vol. 14(2), pages 163-206, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    traditional teaching; progressive teaching; meta-cognition;
    All these keywords.

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