Teaching and Learning Strategies

The 17 competencies assessed on your standards check include eight questions around Teaching and Learning Strategies:

1) Was the teaching style suited to the pupils learning style and current ability?

This competence is all about matching what you are doing to how your pupil prefers to learn as we know this is a much more powerful way to support your pupil. Use rapport to stay in tune with how your pupil is doing as this will help you determine the level of support they need from you, or if you need to better support them in a way that more closely matches how they learn.

It is important that as you do this, any demonstrations you offer show best practise as well as the information you provide being accurate and technically correct.

2) Was the pupil encouraged to analyse problems and take responsibility for their learning?

Throughout the lesson encourage your pupil to analyse problems and take responsibility so they can problem solve and manage their driving behaviour.

Make sure that they have plenty of uninterrupted time in a safe environment to practise new skills if that is what your pupil needs. This helps them learn in an experiential way.

To support the pupils learning outside of lessons with you, follow up with any advice as to how your pupil might practise their theory or practically with friends or family in the car.

3) Where opportunities and examples used to clarify learning outcomes?

Using opportunities to clarify the learning goal in a suitable way and at a suitable time helps pupils understand and relate what they see to experiences they are yet to have. Use examples that currently fall within the pupil’s scope of understanding, experience, and ability. Examples that support conversations or experiences your pupil you may have previously had during their training. Pick out examples you and your pupil see of both good and bad driver behaviour.

It is important that you discuss risks attached to both as this helps your pupil raise their understanding and awareness.

4) Was the technical information given comprehensive appropriate and accurate?

Make sure that you are giving comprehensive, appropriate and accurate technical information that increases your pupil’s knowledge and understanding. Confirm with them their full understanding of what is being explained or demonstrated, if necessary, offer more help and explanation.

5) Was the pupil given appropriate and timely feedback during the session?

Giving appropriate and timely feedback helps pupils reflect comprehensively and fully analyse consequences to actions. Make sure that your feedback is timely and appropriate and helps a pupil raise awareness and understanding of their performance and the current situation.

Provide feedback in a way that your pupil can easily understand at their level and supported with examples.

6) Were the pupil’s queries followed up and answered?

Don’t ‘miss the moment’ to fill your pupil’s knowledge gaps. Following up and answering pupil’s queries in good time with helpful answers or by directing them to a suitable source for information. Helps the pupils develop their situational awareness, understanding and knowledge.

7) Did the trainer maintain an appropriate non-discriminatory manner throughout the lesson?

Maintaining an appropriate non-discriminatory manner by using language about other road users that targets the behaviour not the person. Helping your pupil understand safe and risky driver behaviour is crucial to helping them also understand themselves and how they might need to manage their own risk after the driving test.

Keep your interactions with your pupil professional by adopting an appropriate position in the car having a respectful distance from your pupil and initially asking how they wish to be addressed.

Get to know the physical abilities of your pupil and any conditions that might need effective solutions for them to remain safe.

8) At the end of the lesson was a pupil encouraged to reflect on their own performance?

Reflection should happen throughout the lesson as your pupil practices and you are eliciting and giving feedback, but particularly at the end when there is an opportunity to honestly discuss with the pupil their performance.

This is your pupil’s opportunity for them to complete a reflective log and your opportunity to ask effective questions the help determine with the pupil what they thought went well, what issues and problems they are still having and what they might do differently next lesson. This is your opportunity to help the pupil set goals for the next lesson.