Marzano Research
When a midyear improvement effort fails, it is often because choosing a different strategy to try happens before clearly defining the instructional problem.
By midyear, most educators know something needs to change. Students may be disengaged. Progress may feel uneven. A lesson may not be producing the learning it should.
Educators typically respond by trying a new instructional strategy, but that does not always lead to meaningful improvement. When that happens, the issue is often a lack of clarity at the outset. Decades of instructional research, and our work with educators across states and districts, suggest a different starting point:
The quality of instructional strategy selection depends on the question guiding it.
The Midyear Strategy Challenge
In teachers’ professional learning conversations, we often hear statements like:
- “Students are not engaged.”
- “Why is this not working?”
- “We need to try something different.”
These statements are honest and can lead to quick decisions. But they describe symptoms, not causes, and are not yet instructionally actionable. When educators jump directly from symptoms to adopting a new strategy, the strategy may not be the right fit.
Research on instructional strategies consistently shows that context, alignment to outcomes, and implementation matter. Without clarity on those elements, strategy use becomes fragmented, and improvement feels unpredictable.
A Core Insight from Instructional Research
An instructional strategy is not the solution itself. At Marzano Research, we define it as a series of actions with a clear beginning and end, designed to produce a specific outcome in student thinking or learning.
Defined this way, an instructional strategy can be framed as a hypothesis for how it might influence learning: ‘If I use [specific instructional strategy], will [specific outcome] improve for [target group of students]?’
Developing a strong hypothesis using this question requires more than surface-level reflection. To support better midyear decision-making, Marzano Research adapted the following tool from our Inquiry-Driven Practice professional learning suite, including Teacher as Researcher, which equips educators to use an action research approach to trying instructional strategies.
Introducing the Better Questions Protocol
The Better Questions Protocol is a research-informed tool that helps educators clarify instructional problems before selecting an instructional strategy by examining context, alignment to the desired outcome, and implementation feasibility.
The protocol is:
- Usable without formal training
- Flexible enough for individual or team use
- Grounded in what research tells us about effective instructional improvement
Some educators use the protocol simply to sharpen their thinking, and stop there. Others use it as an entry point into deeper inquiry, collaborative learning, or short instructional improvement cycles. Both approaches are valid.
How the Protocol Works
The Better Questions Protocol guides educators through five steps:
1. Name the Instructional Problem
Identify what students are not yet doing, using observable behaviors to identify a specific way students are struggling.
2. Clarify the Target Outcome
Specify what improvement would look like in student thinking or performance.
3. Examine Current Instruction
Surface existing practices that may already be positively or negatively influencing the outcome.
4. Form a Hypothesis
Choose an instructional strategy and frame it as a testable hypothesis: If I use [specific instructional strategy], will [specific outcome] improve for [target group of students]?
5. Check for Practical Fit
Confirm that the strategy is feasible, observable, and appropriate for the instructional timeframe.
Together, these steps make strategy selection more intentional.
Why This Helps Midyear Improvement Efforts
Identifying and clearly articulating the instructional problem leads to clearer conclusions on the strategy effectiveness. When the instructional problem is based on ‘gut feelings’ and not observable behaviors, many educators abandon strategies too quickly or attribute results incorrectly.
This protocol clarifies instructional context and focus, strengthens alignment between strategy and intended outcomes, and supports more accurate reflection on how well the strategy is being implemented and what is leading to positive changes in student outcomes.
Start With Better Questions
Midyear improvement begins with better questions. The Better Questions Protocol offers educators a practical, research-informed way to ask those questions, whether working independently, with colleagues, or as part of a broader improvement effort.
Download the Better Questions Protocol to begin clarifying instructional problems and selecting more effective strategies.
