THINKING SCHOOLS SOUTH AFRICA

In a world where information is instantly available, learning needs to go beyond simply knowing facts. Students must be given opportunities to think deeply, make connections, see patterns and transfer their understanding to new situations.

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Join Dr Jennifer Chang Wathall for an inspiring and highly practical day exploring how Concept-Based Learning can transform teaching and learning across subjects and grade levels.

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Moving beyond topic-driven teaching, Jennifer will show how concepts can become the foundation for rich, inquiry-driven learning experiences that promote deep thinking and transferable understanding. Through practical frameworks, collaborative activities and real-world classroom examples, you will explore how to intentionally connect concepts, inquiry, instruction and assessment, ensuring that learning moves beyond knowledge and recall towards deeper conceptual understanding.

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Whether you are new to inquiry-based learning or already embedding inquiry into your practice, Concept-Based Learning offers a powerful way to deepen learning. By bringing together inquiry, learner agency, and conceptual understanding, learners are encouraged to look beyond the topic at hand, recognise bigger ideas, make meaningful connections, and apply their understanding in new contexts.

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For educators familiar with the work of Trevor MacKenzie and Jessica Vance, the day also provides an opportunity to extend ideas around curiosity, learner agency, purposeful inquiry and making learning visible, while exploring how a concept-based approach can add further depth and intentionality to the learning experience.

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You will leave with practical strategies and tools to help you:

• move from covering content to developing understanding

• identify the powerful concepts that underpin curriculum content

• design learning experiences that encourage inquiry, connection and deeper thinking

• create opportunities for learners to construct meaning and develop greater ownership of their learning

• develop students’ ability to transfer their learning to new contexts

• align learning experiences and assessment with conceptual understanding

• begin applying a concept-based approach within your own curriculum and classroom.

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Suitable for educators across all grade levels and subject areas.