Zid Mancenido and colleagues at Harvard, in a recent EdWorkingPaper:
"Participants who experienced the practice-based condition outperformed those in the conceptually-focused and mixed condition on the more distal teaching task. These results provide initial empirical evidence that validates some theory underlying practice-based approaches."
Newsflash: Teachers learn to teach by teaching, not just by reading or being told about teaching.
The study compared traditional preparation (reading research, discussing, reflecting, etc.) against practice-based approaches where teacher interns watch expert teaching, then rehearse with coaching and feedback. The practice-based group didn't just perform better on what they'd practiced; they transferred those skills to new situations.
As the researchers note:
"It wasn't about points, it was about quality and there's a world of difference here."
This has implications beyond teacher prep programs. Our professional development, our coaching models, our new teacher support … are we creating space for deliberate practice with feedback? Or are we still defaulting to "sit and get" followed by reflection?
The evidence suggests we should be doing less talking about good instruction and more structured doing of it.