IRIS Connect Adaptive Pathways
Design Principles
- Last Updated: 15th May, 2025
When you take an adaptive pathway on IRIS Connect, you’ll experience a number of novel features. Here’s why we’ve structured things this way:
Promote Teacher Agency
Traditional PD models often follow a rigid cycle of diagnosis, modelling, and rehearsal. In this approach, someone else defines the problem, prescribes the solution, and dictates the path to improvement. While well-intentioned, this method strips teachers of agency, leaving little room for professional judgment, self-directed improvement, or engagement with challenges that matter most to the teacher.
Teacher agency in PD is a key factor in staff retention. In the midst of a recruitment and retention crisis, a “done-to” model is simply a non-starter. Of course, different levels of agency are appropriate at different levels of expertise—that’s why we offer a range of pathways with varying degrees of scaffolding. However, in all cases, learning experiences in adaptive pathways are framed reflectively, respectfully, and with agency as the ultimate goal.
But this isn’t just about retention—it’s also a fundamental learning principle. Involving teachers in decision-making surfaces mental models, refines professional judgment, and builds towards adaptive expertise.
Foster Adaptive Expertise
Teaching is a dynamic profession. Effective teachers don’t simply execute techniques; they adapt fluidly to different contexts. Building adaptive expertise means integrating techniques with the mental models that guide their application. Starting with rigid techniques and layering in adaptability later contradicts what we know about expert performance.
Our pathways foster mental models and technique development in parallel:
- Focus Areas: Techniques are never developed in isolation from their theory of action. Our theory guides help teachers understand how techniques align with teaching goals, how they interact with broader strategies, and how they can innovate without distorting effectiveness.
- Dialogue: Effective teaching relies on noticing, interpreting, and making decisions in real time. These mental models are best developed through dialogue, rooted in practice. That’s why our pathways include structured learning interactions that prompt teachers and coaches to narrate their thinking and decision-making, leading to deeper reflection and growth.
- Reflection: Will a coach always be available to spot growth opportunities? If not, teachers need a structured way to develop independent reflection. Even on a coaching pathway, teachers engage in key cognitive processes designed to strengthen their ability to self-direct their professional growth over time.
“Outsource” the Trivial
For teachers to think deeply, engage in rich dialogue, and build fluid technique, something has to give. We asked ourselves: how can we create time for what matters most? Our answer—use technology to eliminate the time sinks associated with coaching and PD.
Consider the traditional observation cycle: arranging schedules, attending observations, and then aligning perspectives in a coaching meeting. Moreover, most observations are brief snapshots—often a 15-minute drop-in—offering insufficient data for meaningful PD.
How can technology solve this? Instead of rigid observation slots, teachers record their lessons at a time that suits them. The coach and coachee receive a detailed analysis of the whole lesson, supported by reflective prompts before the coaching meeting. Less time spent on logistics, more time spent in rich, focused conversations about practice.
Simplify
Teachers are busy. The cognitive and logistical demands of daily teaching are high. So we designed pathways to answer one simple question: What should I do next?
Each step is achievable—manageable in cognitive load and time commitment. Instructions are clear. Interfaces are pared back to reduce extraneous load. Content is written in plain, relatable language.
To avoid split attention effects, each pathway serves as a single, adaptive space for PD. There’s no need to hunt for resources—content, AI tools, and video analysis are all pulled in as needed. Your next step is always under the “Next Step” button.
Underpin with Evidence
Every element of our theory and technique content is built by world-leading experts in classroom teaching and educational research.
- Our focus areas are mapped to the CCF, ECF, and meta-analyses of effective teaching practices.
- Our content centres on persistent problems of teaching
- Our technique-level guides are simple, logical, and aligned with school priorities. Each includes an overview, a video model, and a consolidation activity (e.g. co-planning or rehearsal) to strengthen understanding.
Be Humble
As Dylan Wiliam wisely puts it: “Everything works somewhere, nothing works everywhere.”
While our selection of focus areas and techniques is grounded in the latest evidence—and we believe they offer the best bets in most circumstances—we are also transparent about the strength and limitations of that evidence. Professional development should not be framed as the pursuit of a singular “best practice,” nor should we assume that if a technique doesn’t yield the desired impact, it is simply a case of poor implementation. Instead, this should mark the beginning of an ongoing, collaborative conversation—one that enables us to adapt, refine, and evolve approaches in diverse contexts.
Our approach reflects this philosophy in practice:
- Teachers define success—Each action step is linked to a desired learning outcome, which teachers evaluate once the technique is in use.
- Flexibility for organisations—Schools and organisations can adapt or expand our bank of techniques to suit their needs.
- Customisable pathways—Pathways can be crafted to reflect specific priorities and contexts.
- Empowering teachers—Techniques are presented alongside their active ingredients, providing a clear framework that supports adaptation without dilution.
Professional learning is not about rigid prescriptions—it’s about professional judgment, evidence-informed experimentation, and continuous refinement.
Avoid Technique “Alphabetti Spaghetti”
“Lock in frequent and regular observations – by receiving weekly observations and feedback, a teacher gets as much development in one year as most receive in twenty.”
—Paul Bambrick-Santoyo, Leverage Leadership
The sentiment is admirable, but volume is not the active ingredient in effective PD, just as sheer volume of information isn’t the key to student learning. What matters is giving teachers time to create meaning, master new practices, and apply them selectively in varying contexts.
Recent research suggests that 5–6 cycles of instructional coaching per year is the sweet spot. Effectiveness tails off at higher frequencies. Interestingly, this study shows that the significant effect size (equivalent to two months of additional student learning) was not accompanied by measurable changes to teachers’ classroom behaviour. This suggests that impact was cognitive—teachers were largely doing the same things but sequencing them differently, reflecting a deeper integration of technique and mental model.
That’s why our template pathways are designed around a half-term cadence. We go deeper, providing greater support for embedding strategies over time.
Realistic
There’s no value in being technically right but divorced from reality. Adaptive pathways must be practical and scalable within the constraints teachers and schools face. That means:
- Delivering on technique—offering the same short-term wins as other models
- Requiring no more time than existing approaches
- Being more cost-effective than other options
Moreover, PD must foster mutual accountability and surface evidence of progress. That’s why all pathways feed into intuitive dashboards that narrate professional development:
- What was the challenge?
- What did we try?
- What was the impact?
This allows leaders to track progress in real time, evidence impact, and provide targeted support where needed.
Give it a Go!
We believe Adaptive Pathways are genuinely groundbreaking. We use AI, advanced video tools, adaptive learning steps and a bank of expert learning resources to deliver measurable progress in a fraction of the time. Experience the future of professional development today.
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Non Customers – Click here
About the Author
Andy is the founder of IRIS Connect and a regular speaker at professional learning events. He is passionate about bridging the gap between what the research shows about effective professional development and the practical delivery of impactful learning interactions. His journey began at the University of Sussex with groundbreaking work on the use of video in initial teacher training and culminated in the development of a web based platform to enhance teachers’ reflection and collaboration. Since founding the company Andy has worked around the world supporting effective teacher development, and has been involved in many inspiring educational projects and research.
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