Modern curricula emphasize the importance of learning to learn. However, current teaching practice is challenged by this endeavour. For the community of teachers and researchers it is important to know which components and features constitute a teaching situation that enables and support learning to learn. Moreover, good teachers and researchers strive to optimize current teaching situations in a way, which could be regarded as more productive from the perspective of learning to learn.

They start with annotating and analysing particular teaching situations and go on with altering them. In this poster we present a case study focused on a particular teaching situation from the perspective of learning to learn in geography. We aim to highlight the potential of “annotating-analysing-altering methodology” (AAA) for evaluation and improvement of instructional quality with regard to supporting learning processes.

Instructional quality depends on the quantity and quality of opportunities to learn which are provided and used in instruction. Opportunities to learn can be regarded as „potentials of lesson structures and situations for student learning processes“(Seidel & Prenzel, 2006, p. 229). Our research group draws on Education Council’s definition (2006) and especially focuses on: (a) metacognition, (b) gaining, processing and assimilating new knowledge and skills and (c) applying knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts. We suppose opportunities to learn depend on the complexity of learning tasks – especially demanding learning tasks can support metacognition and higher cognitive process which are necessary for developing learning to learn (c. f. Rheinberg & Vollmeyer, 2000).

The multidimensionality and vagueness of the concept learning to learn bring obstacles to its research (Wayetens et al., 2002; Black et al., 2006). Some of them are caused by teachers using the concept to mean many different things and by the concept being implemented in many different variations (Wayetens et al., 2002, p. 306). Empirical studies have revealed that opportunities for developing learning to learn in classrooms are rather restricted; at least in the Czech Republic (Chvál et al., 2012).

If instructional quality is to be developed in the sense of opportunities to learn there is a need for instruments which would facilitate teachers’ reflection of their instruction and considerations of optimizing teaching situations from the perspective of learning to learn. These instruments are mostly constructed in the context of reflective practice (Schön, 1983; Korthagen et al., 2001).

Our research group is currently developing methodology called AAA which is to be used in the context of reflective practice.  AAA is a three-step methodology consisting of annotation, analysis and (suggesting) alternatives. This methodology can be used by researchers and teachers to improve instructional quality. Annotation is a brief summary of the teaching situation and its context. Analysis focuses on specific aspects of the situation (here learning to learn) in order to reveal the potential for qualitative change. In the final step, alternatives are suggested, reconsidered, and discussed.

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