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The New Art and Science of Teaching: More Than Fifty New Instructional Strategies for Academic Success
This title is a greatly expanded volume of the original Art and Science of Teaching, offering a framework for substantive change based on Marzano’s 50 years of education research. While the previous model focused on teacher outcomes, the new version places focus on student outcomes, with strategies teachers can use to help students grasp the information and skills transferred through their instruction. Throughout the book, Marzano details the elements of three overarching categories of teaching, which define what must happen to optimize student learning: students must receive feedback, get meaningful content instruction, and have their basic psychological needs met.
Benefits
Explore instructional strategies that correspond to each of the 43 elements of The New Art and Science of Teaching, which have been carefully designed to maximize student engagement and achievement.
Gain ten design questions and a general framework that will help determine which classroom strategies you should use to foster student learning.
Analyze the behavioral evidence that proves the strategies of an element are helping learners reach their peak academic success.
Study the state of the modern standards movement and what changes must be made in K–12 education to ensure high levels of learning for all.
Download free reproducible scales specific to the elements in The New Art and Science of Teaching.
Contents
Chapter 1: Providing and Communicating Clear Learning Goals
Chapter 2: Conducting Assessment
Chapter 3: Conducting Direct Instruction Lessons
Chapter 4: Practicing and Deepening Lessons
Chapter 5: Implementing Knowledge Application Lessons
Chapter 6: Using Strategies That Appear in All Types of Lessons
Chapter 7: Using Engagement Strategies
Chapter 8: Implementing Rules and Procedures
Chapter 9: Building Relationships
Chapter 10: Communicating High Expectations
Chapter 11: Making System Changes
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 10, 2017
191 people are currently reading
385 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 31, 2020
[education book #4] i remember reading Marzano in my introductory education course at Stanford so i picked up this book in hopes of bringing back some of that old knowledge. i think this book works best as a reference, not necessarily a cover-to-cover read. it synthesizes many 330 "strategies" categorized under 43 "elements" categorized under 10 "design areas." for example, under the design area "using assessments" is design area #4 ("using informal assessments of the whole class") under which potential strategies are "confidence rating techniques," "voting techniques,""response boards," and "unrecorded assessments." each strategy is pretty general, which is useful in that it can probably be applied to all classrooms, but also leaves a gap for the teacher to fill in, in terms of implementation. i'd probably take a peek at this book later which a specific situation or problem in mind.
May 12, 2020
The final chapter of this book is well worth the read. I got a lot from it and some of the system changes suggested are excellent ideas. Everything up until that point was not great and you don't need any of it as background information for the final chapter.
For a book that is based on research and has literally over 100 references in it, the book is surprisingly devoid of research information. Perhaps that material is too dense but if you are going to tell me things are based on research I want to see the evidence. Also, I question many of the conclusions the books comes two. One example is that the book states that "direct instruction is superior to discovery learning in most situations". This statement is based on a meta-analysis for 580 comparisons between the two but the statement is made without any depth. There is no defining of what direct instruction means or what discovery learning means. When I read the direct instruction strategies, many of them don't fit into what I consider direct instruction and include teacher led discussions, small group discussions/activities, and even pushes into student modeling - though modeling is picked up more directly in the chapter on deepening lessons. Then three chapters later we get a backhanded definition of discovery lessons that says "students are pretty much left to their own devices in their exploration". So to sum up, direct instruction is better than having student come into your class and asking them to learn on their own. Great, but not helpful. What if I create a structured discovery learning environment where students witness a phenomenon, wrestle with what they think happens, ask questions about what happened that we can then investigate as a class. We can take their ideas and figure out how to learn about them or test them and through that process we will learn about the functions that go on behind the phenomena (those are the standards I have built into the unit). How does that type of instruction stack up to direct instruction? I find it disingenuous that you would promote teaching strategies by comparing your teaching strategies to a wild west free for all classroom.
Also, each chapter starts with an intro to explain the overarching theme of the chapter like Ch. 7 Using Engagement Strategies. This intro doesn't say much which is disappointing. This is where I would like more in depth discussion on why this concept is even a chapter in the book, what research supports it, and how it connects to the other chapters around it. There is none of that, only some fluff including what the student preferred mental state is - for the engagement chapter it is "students are paying attention, energized, intrigued, and inspired." which is fine but I don't need a book to tell me that my students shouldn't be apathetic, lethargic and taking naps in class. After the intro there are elements which are like overarching teaching strategies (there are 43 of these across 10 chapters which seems like too many to me) and each of these elements has anywhere from 4 to probably 20 strategies in it (I don't have an exact count but there are probably 400 strategies and without any depth to any of them, none of them are particularly helpful). Many of these strategies are obvious and could possibly be useful for college students but if you have taught for a handful of year, you will have heard of many of these before like paired response, choral response, and wait time. Also many of these strategies aren't really strategies, just rough concepts. One of the strategies is "monitoring individual student engagement". This isn't a strategy, it is goal. The strategies would be how you are going to accomplish this. Just putting this as a strategy without any support isn't helpful to anyone. Everyone knows you should monitor your students but what strategies you use to do that is important.
For a book that is based on research and has literally over 100 references in it, the book is surprisingly devoid of research information. Perhaps that material is too dense but if you are going to tell me things are based on research I want to see the evidence. Also, I question many of the conclusions the books comes two. One example is that the book states that "direct instruction is superior to discovery learning in most situations". This statement is based on a meta-analysis for 580 comparisons between the two but the statement is made without any depth. There is no defining of what direct instruction means or what discovery learning means. When I read the direct instruction strategies, many of them don't fit into what I consider direct instruction and include teacher led discussions, small group discussions/activities, and even pushes into student modeling - though modeling is picked up more directly in the chapter on deepening lessons. Then three chapters later we get a backhanded definition of discovery lessons that says "students are pretty much left to their own devices in their exploration". So to sum up, direct instruction is better than having student come into your class and asking them to learn on their own. Great, but not helpful. What if I create a structured discovery learning environment where students witness a phenomenon, wrestle with what they think happens, ask questions about what happened that we can then investigate as a class. We can take their ideas and figure out how to learn about them or test them and through that process we will learn about the functions that go on behind the phenomena (those are the standards I have built into the unit). How does that type of instruction stack up to direct instruction? I find it disingenuous that you would promote teaching strategies by comparing your teaching strategies to a wild west free for all classroom.
Also, each chapter starts with an intro to explain the overarching theme of the chapter like Ch. 7 Using Engagement Strategies. This intro doesn't say much which is disappointing. This is where I would like more in depth discussion on why this concept is even a chapter in the book, what research supports it, and how it connects to the other chapters around it. There is none of that, only some fluff including what the student preferred mental state is - for the engagement chapter it is "students are paying attention, energized, intrigued, and inspired." which is fine but I don't need a book to tell me that my students shouldn't be apathetic, lethargic and taking naps in class. After the intro there are elements which are like overarching teaching strategies (there are 43 of these across 10 chapters which seems like too many to me) and each of these elements has anywhere from 4 to probably 20 strategies in it (I don't have an exact count but there are probably 400 strategies and without any depth to any of them, none of them are particularly helpful). Many of these strategies are obvious and could possibly be useful for college students but if you have taught for a handful of year, you will have heard of many of these before like paired response, choral response, and wait time. Also many of these strategies aren't really strategies, just rough concepts. One of the strategies is "monitoring individual student engagement". This isn't a strategy, it is goal. The strategies would be how you are going to accomplish this. Just putting this as a strategy without any support isn't helpful to anyone. Everyone knows you should monitor your students but what strategies you use to do that is important.
August 7, 2024
I like the elements format and feel like I could’ve enjoyed this more if I read it on my own. I can appreciate all of the effort and thought put into it though.
March 14, 2021
Great as a reference tool for effective teaching - to be used by teachers & administrators.
June 15, 2017
I highly recommend this as a summer read for all teachers. It has the best strategies for all aspects of teaching from classroom management, to relationship building, to assessment, and instruction. Each topic is covered in easy to use tables for quick hit implementation. Overall questions are posed to make you think carefully about all aspects of planning a course or just a lesson within your course. Furthermore it dives into proficiency scales and why they are the most accurate way to measure performance while motivating students due to the clear, goal setting aspect of standards and the transparent communication of what success looks like. I am set for 17/18 !
July 30, 2020
Understanding that this is an introductory text to a larger series I'm still not quite sold that this is genuinely new, and since the word, "science," is used in the title there is a conspicuous absence of scientific evidence provided throughout. I have a hard time believing that many experienced educators will find much that is revolutionary here and most will come away with some interest concepts, reframed in a way they perhaps have not heard. Also in particular the strategies suggested sometimes border on the ridiculously obvious to the unproductively vague/unformed. This isn't to say that this is not worth a read though I would say I would only recommend it to those who are not already familiar with Marzano. If you already have, I'm not sure of the need for this, though for new readers this could perhaps serve as a nice précis.
June 23, 2021
We read this as part of a PLC group at my school. I liked building proficiency scales because they helped me scaffold my instruction. However, proficiency scales are very similar to rubrics. A good book if like me you are developing your own curriculum and want some guidance breaking down standards and creating meaningful lessons. I gave it three stars because although I found it to be helpful, I have not gone back to it. I feel that I learned the skills I needed from this book and am not seeking new ways to make myself a better teacher.
June 30, 2017
Not as reader-friendly as Jim Knight and Suzy Rollins. In fact, disappointing in places (6, 21). Essentially same info, presented in less reader friendly format.
If anything, the plethora of tables might be useful in walk through a to focus on what to look for and frame our feedback.
Pp 54-79 list strategies that might be helpful in developing our instructional playbook.
P. 107 unit planning vs lesson planning might be helpful for cluster class.
If anything, the plethora of tables might be useful in walk through a to focus on what to look for and frame our feedback.
Pp 54-79 list strategies that might be helpful in developing our instructional playbook.
P. 107 unit planning vs lesson planning might be helpful for cluster class.
September 16, 2021
Blech. Did not finish. Not anything new or particularly helpful, and his explanation of many concepts are overly -- and unnecessarily -- complicated. It's clear (at least to me) that Marzano has not been in the classroom recently. I appreciated the idea and research behind mastery based grading and learning progressions, and am currently implementing them, but his exemplars for proficiency scales are horrific. I would never hand one to a student.
August 5, 2017
Nothing in this book is exceptionally ground breaking, but I really enjoy the format and organization of the content. My district is using this book to help teachers implement best practice. This book will help me to organize my planned learning experiences and to create action steps for my professional goals.
December 31, 2019
This book was a slightly less academic (i.e., more understandable) treatment of teaching. Marzano's summary on the last page is common sense - "Focus must be on students' mental states and processes, as opposed to teacher actions." Bottom line - regardless of how well-prepared a teacher is to deliver a lesson, he/she must also be prepared to adjust quickly to the students' changing needs.
March 14, 2022
This is a great reference book for any teacher or administrator to have on a shelf for when it is needed. It is a great book for when a teacher gets stuck in a rut and just needs a fresh idea. Not necessarily the best cover to cover read, but great info in organized tables to spark a needed refresh.
April 18, 2025
3.5 ⭐️ Some strong ideas and thoughts that brought reflection for change in teaching and in educational systems. But, there was a lot that did not feel “new”, and much could be skimmed. Rounding up because it was all great information, and things I found to agree with as needed for our students educational experiences.
November 20, 2017
So Useful
Book is filled with great research based strategies on a variety of ways to increase student learning in the classroom. The use of tables to organize the information is very useful.
Book is filled with great research based strategies on a variety of ways to increase student learning in the classroom. The use of tables to organize the information is very useful.
November 7, 2018
Read this for a book study with colleagues, and it was filled with many helpful teaching strategies! However, it is not an easy read and very dense - took some serious focus and work to pull out the many useful nuggets.
December 28, 2019
Filled with great research based strategies all in one place. I enjoyed that it was organized in a way that you could easily flip to the area you're seeking info on. Definitely helpful, yet not super "groundbreaking".
August 15, 2020
Textbook-like, but appreciated the validation of current classroom practices and the addition of strategies for heightening students’ fact retention, critical thinking skills, and academic skill success.
April 28, 2024
Another book for school. This one felt very textbook-heavy, but some good nuggets. Not everything was super applicable for my role (this book is directed at classroom teachers).
Read as an e-textbook on my PC.
Read as an e-textbook on my PC.
November 8, 2025
Not a book I recommend for others and not a book I will come back to.
More than half of the references in this book are to the author. And more than half of the non author references are over 30 years old. When discussing anything, the author doesn't explicitly talk about research. Overall, he talks so much but says so little. The whole thing could have been a packet, not a book. Most, like 95%, of the strategies are super common ones either known intuitively or taught in any teaching course. Most things are also pretty repetitive. Strategies suggested are the same ones, with slight differences in when to implement. I skimmed a lot of this simply because I knew it already or I got the gist within a sentence.
The main concept here is scales, aka rubrics but different. You have to buy into this and most of the book is seen through this lens. I can see the benefit in scales, in fact I think it is great and something to consider implementing. The book itself still sucks.
More than half of the references in this book are to the author. And more than half of the non author references are over 30 years old. When discussing anything, the author doesn't explicitly talk about research. Overall, he talks so much but says so little. The whole thing could have been a packet, not a book. Most, like 95%, of the strategies are super common ones either known intuitively or taught in any teaching course. Most things are also pretty repetitive. Strategies suggested are the same ones, with slight differences in when to implement. I skimmed a lot of this simply because I knew it already or I got the gist within a sentence.
The main concept here is scales, aka rubrics but different. You have to buy into this and most of the book is seen through this lens. I can see the benefit in scales, in fact I think it is great and something to consider implementing. The book itself still sucks.
July 30, 2017
Good information, but not an easy read. I especially liked the design questions which help guide teachers to fulfill the teaching goals.
December 13, 2017
Used this for some PD.
Some good ideas, some common sense.
Some good ideas, some common sense.
March 5, 2018
While informative, this textbook was quite dry and not fun to read.
August 2, 2019
A great text for teachers filled with many teaching strategies and tips for student success!
October 13, 2019
A dizzying array of menu options and practical advice to suck a little less every day.
April 27, 2021
Short chapters but each is hyper focused on a specific aspect of teaching. Very informative and concise—Marzano doesn’t waste your time.
July 20, 2021
Great book for Instructional Coaches and teachers alike.
February 8, 2022
This is a good resource for pushing your teaching to the next level. I plan on continuing to use it as a reference as I move forward in my teaching career.
July 7, 2025
Good information for new teachers and it doesn’t need to be read from cover to cover, word for word. Good guide.
July 7, 2025
Really like that this had actual ideas and strategies that I could start implementing in my classroom today with little to no extra prep work.
May 20, 2019
Sloppy, ethically-specious research applied by the researchers for the means of maintaining a cottage industry populated by anxious, desperate, and stressed administrators trying to remember what it's like to be in the classroom, this book was written with nary a teacher with in-the-field experience in sight (Marzano has never been a teacher and it shows). At times, the writing even dumps its own selective research and terminology, thereby sacrificing the one modicum of "knowledge" it has. More, every single thing shown is basic educational pedagogy; there is nothing "new" here for anyone who is in a teaching program or with even a year or two of teaching under their belt, let alone "veterans."
Would-be readers, do yourself a favor: go dig for original research. It's not hard to find, it's user-friendly, and none of the writing treats its subject matter or its readers like naive aliens. Good luck.
The Marzano "fad" needs to end.
Would-be readers, do yourself a favor: go dig for original research. It's not hard to find, it's user-friendly, and none of the writing treats its subject matter or its readers like naive aliens. Good luck.
The Marzano "fad" needs to end.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews