Using a Cognitive Apprenticeship Model in the Classroom

When I was first studying to become a teacher, I was also working at T.G.I. Fridays. I know, you’re jealous. T.G.I. Fridays was good at a lot of things and training staff was one of them. For the most part, they used ideas straight from the behaviorist’s playbook. Remember all those pins on your server’s suspenders? They were rewards for everything from sweeping the floor in the kitchen to selling a lot of top shelf tequila. But other ideas, were much more Vygotskian. Many of us waiters, bartenders and kitchen staff were also trainers. This organization spent a lot of time on training. We learned a model that I easily applied to my classrooms when I was student teaching. And now that I am a teacher educator, I recognize this as Cognitive Apprenticeship.

The Cognitive Apprenticeship model is a way to support students’ thinking. It breaks down content that is hovering in the students zone of proximal development [ZPD] so that it is accessible to them. But more than that, when it is done well, this model can help move that ZPD so that the student is able to work independently and potentially move on to more difficult tasks.

Here is how it works. This is a slight modification from the classic model. 

STEP 1: Modeling – The teacher (or other expert other) literally models the task. While modeling they are talking through their thought process and the steps of the task.

STEP 2: Coaching – The student attempts the task and the teacher/expert provides guidance and feedback and hints.

STEP 3: Scaffolding – The teacher uses what they learned about the student to design supports that will allow the student to accomplish the task independently. The teacher can still assist at this point if needed.

STEP 4: Articulation – This step can be done in a number of ways. The method I prefer is having the student provide instructions to another person in how to accomplish the task. This requires them to know and talk through the steps.

STEP 5: Reflection – As in so many areas of our life, reflection is an important component. In this stage, students benefit from thinking about their first interaction with this challenging task, how they felt, how they approached it, and what helped them become more expert over time.

The Cognitive Apprenticeship model is appropriate for all ages and can be used across content areas. At T.G.I. Fridays we used this to teach how to make a side salad, a margarita, or even how to prepare main courses. In your classroom it can be used for everything from establishing class procedures to solving math problems. 

If you use this method, please comment below and share your experiences.