Marzano: "I Can Think of No Strategy Every Teacher Should Use"

This post is Bob Marzano's response to our teacher-blogger Dina Strasser's analysis of Chapter One of Marzano's The Art and Science of Teaching.

My overarching comment is that the title "art and science of teaching" is meant to convey the message that research only gets you so far and then teachers' reasoned adaptations must take over. All research is equivocal at least to some extent, and its application to new situations must be discussed and debated.

Regarding the issue of rewards, that's a tough one. People seem to be lined up strongly on one side or the other of the issue. On page 16 of the book, I said, "It is safe to say, however, that when used appropriately verbal rewards and perhaps also tangible rewards can positively affect student achievement," which I believe is a fair and accurate interpretation of the research. My intent wasn't to say that all teachers should use rewards. However, it was to say that it's not prudent to ban them either. I included the long quote by Deci, Ryan, and Koestner, however, to allow people to read the concerns of the major researchers in the field.

On the issue of setting goals and tracking student progress, I think the research is less equivocal. I find it hard to make a case that it's not a practice that all teachers should consider. We have done quite a few experimental/control studies on this practice and have received very good results. These studies will be posted on a new Web site going up in a few weeks; I'll provide a link soon.

I think the critical issue Dina is bringing up here is the blanket requirements by administrators that a strategy should be used. I have never recommended or agreed with such a practice. I can think of no strategy every teacher should use. They are all tools to be used in the service of student learning. That said, I realize I have probably contributed greatly to the burden of many teachers in schools or districts where certain strategies are "mandated." For that I apologize. In my defense, though, right from the beginning, I have warned against this practice. To illustrate, in the first chapter of the book Classroom Instruction That Works (2001), I said, " . . . teachers should rely on their knowledge of their students, their subject matter, and their situation to identify the most appropriate instructional strategies" (p. 9).

Dina raises issues everyone should raise when reading The Art and Science of Teaching or any other book like it. Accept things that you know work based on your experience. Reject things that don't work based on your experience, and try things you haven't tried before. Always keep student achievement as the criterion for successful teaching. If students are not learning well, then it is a professional educator's responsibility (I believe) to try something new, and books like The Art and Science of Teaching are intended to provide some guidance to that end.

Robert J. Marzano is a senior scholar at Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colo.; an associate professor at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, Wis.; president of Marzano & Associates; and author of several ASCD books.