Tag Archives: Bad education

No, don’t forget everything we know about memory

Posted on 29/04/2017 by evidenceintopractice

With a renewed interest in cognitive science within teaching, are we in risk of “conflating hypothetical models with proven neuroscience since accepted facts can quickly become ‘neuro-myths’ when new research contradicts popular theories” as Ellie Mulcahy warns in “Forgetting everything we know … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , , , , | 4 Comments

Perpetual motion machines do not exist

Posted on 28/11/2015 by evidenceintopractice

Robert Fludd’s description of a perpetual motion machine from the 17th Century. The idea involved water held in a tank above the apparatus driving a water wheel which, through a complex set of gears, rotate an Archimedes screw which draws … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , , | 13 Comments

Pseudoscience has nested in schools

Posted on 20/02/2015 by evidenceintopractice

A rather belated find on my part! A short piece in the TES on my contribution to researchED last year: ‘Pseudoscience has nested in schools’ If you’re interested in reading more about some of the pseudoscience I was complaining about, … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged | 3 Comments

More nonsense for teachers to avoid

Posted on 10/07/2014 by evidenceintopractice

I recently ran a staff survey asking for comments and suggestions about our peer-coaching programme. Within this questionnaire, I also asked what teachers would find interesting to read on this blog and one response asked for something on using Neuro … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , | 30 Comments

Can teachers stop believing in nonsense?

Posted on 17/05/2014 by evidenceintopractice

I’ve written before regarding the prevalence of pseudoscientific ideas within education. Whenever I start to become a little optimistic that our profession can move out of the dark ages, something pops up to prove my hopes are premature. Just such a … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

The pyramid of lies

Posted on 02/05/2014 by evidenceintopractice

In my NQT year I found myself contesting the use of brain gym in my school (I even got sent on a course to ‘convert me’). The experience set me up nicely – as it reminded me to doubt everything … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged | 7 Comments

Everyone starts with an ‘A’: Is fear a better motivator than aspiration?

Posted on 14/03/2014 by evidenceintopractice

A recent study by the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce) argues that teachers should consider giving all students an ‘A’ grade at the start of the year on the basis that there is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Learning styles don’t exist

Posted on 20/06/2013 by evidenceintopractice

I’ve always been sceptical of the idea of ‘learning styles’. Psychological models of learning and memory suggest we use all of our sensory modalities to learn (it depends upon what we’re learning). The questionnaires used to ‘measure’ VAK preferences are … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments