This approach requires the teacher to initially take on all the responsibility for a task, transitioning in stages to the students assuming full independence in carrying it out.
[1] The goal is to cultivate confident learners and thinkers who are capable of handling tasks even in areas where they have not yet gained expertise.
[2] While similar models have been identified and represented throughout the study and development of teaching and learning as a construct, it was Pearson & Gallagher (1983)[3] who coined the phrase "gradual release of responsibility" to describe this dynamic in the classroom.
Loosely basing their model on the ideas of the Russian educational theorist Lev Vygotsky, Pearson and Gallagher envisioned instruction that moved from explicit modeling and instruction to guided practice and then to activities that incrementally positioned students into becoming independent learners.
"[3]: 34 One element which is crucial to the success of the GRR model is the notion related to 'instructional scaffolding', which is grounded in Vygotsky's concept of the "zone of proximal development" (ZPD).
[3]: 34 Vygotsky (1978) believed that guided interactions, with an adult, or a more skilled peer, could facilitate a higher level of thinking within the zone.
[6] The four phases of the GRR Model are: Focus Lesson – "I do it", Guided Instruction – "We do it", Collaborative – "You do it together", and Independent – "You do it alone" (Fisher & Frey 2006).
The MKO resurfaces again in the collaborative process where peers may assist each other as expertise, personal experience, and/or understanding allows.
[9] Others have recognised the similarities between this method of instruction and the integrated approach of collaboration in conceptual change (Rochelle, 1992) and the cognitive apprenticeship model of Collins, Brown, and Newman (1989).
The GRR model emphasizes instruction that supports and mentors students into becoming capable thinkers and learners when handling tasks with which they have yet to develop expertise in.
It is a successful model and has been documented as an effective approach in teaching many subject areas and a variety of content, from writing achievement, reading comprehension, and literacy outcomes for English language learners (Kong & Pearson, 2003).
[13] Formative assessments are planned in accordance with specific outcomes, which make it easier for teachers to group students.
The collaborative learning component requires that each student is accountable for their participation by producing an independent product while engaged with his peers.
The interdependence of this structure creates an environment in which all individuals are important to the group as a whole, and the sharing of understandings, processes and ideas among members is common.
According to the Nova Scotia Department of Education, homework is "an assigned activity that students complete outside of regular class time.
[19] Research by Harris Cooper, Jorgianne C. Robinson, and Erika A. Patall has proven, "with only rare exceptions, the relationship between the amount of homework students do and their achievement outcomes was found to be positive and statistically significant".
[20] Studies have shown that classroom instruction and homework can complement one another to result in deeper understanding and improved skills.
[22] Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey use their research to create a four tiered progression of how homework can benefit students throughout their learning process: Homework is problematic when teachers' observations from the independent phase are not employed when determining how much and what kinds of expectations will be placed on students to accomplish for the next class.
There is a concern that homework tasks are assigned prematurely in the instructional process and as a result, students learn things incorrectly.
It is therefore important that homework assignments are geared to the realities of students' developing skills to avoid undue frustration and disengagement.
Historically, homework has been seen as a means to improve academic achievement (Lacina-Gifford & Gifford, 2004), discipline the mind (Wildman, 1968), and help children become lifelong learners (Bembenutty, 2011).