Tag Archives: Willingham

The psychology of behaviour management (part 1)

Posted on 10/01/2016 by evidenceintopractice

The topic of behaviour management and the problems teachers face in dealing with disruption to lessons continues to evoke strong argument within the profession. The extent of the problem was explored in a 2014 paper by Terry Haydn which argued … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , , , , , | 18 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

The science of learning

Posted on 02/10/2015 by evidenceintopractice

Here’s a really clear, short and applicable summary of the key areas of cognitive science which can be applied to the classroom: The Science of Learning The summary looks at six questions about learning, giving a quick summary of the science … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Can we teach students effective ‘revision skills’?

Posted on 08/02/2015 by evidenceintopractice

There’s some interesting evidence to suggest that well applied study skills can have an important influence on student outcomes. Indeed, perhaps the key reason that girls tend to academically outperform boys is related to the effective use of study strategies. … Continue reading →

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

Developing research leads within schools: ‘the good we oft might win’

Posted on 14/12/2014 by evidenceintopractice

‘Our doubts are traitors, and make us lose the good we oft might win, by fearing to attempt.’ Measure for measure, Act I Scene IV ResearchED Research Leads Network Day, 13th December 2014 It is perhaps indicative of the character … Continue reading →

Posted in Research Lead | Tagged , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Great teacher talk

Posted on 20/05/2014 by evidenceintopractice

The ‘war’ on Teacher Talk Time was one of the more depressing developments in my teaching career. Obviously secondary students will rapidly get bored if they are subjected to lectures – no one is advocating that teachers should drone on … Continue reading →

Posted in General teaching | Tagged , , , | 14 Comments

The restless relationship between science and teaching

Posted on 12/05/2014 by evidenceintopractice

“Science is more than a body of knowledge. It is a way of thinking; a way of skeptically interrogating the universe with a fine understanding of human fallibility. If we are not able to ask skeptical questions, to interrogate those … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy of education | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Knowledge vs Understanding

Posted on 01/05/2014 by evidenceintopractice

Subject knowledge has enjoyed a recent rehabilitation within education. Whilst there are groups ideologically opposed to teaching content (either on the grounds that it ‘stifles creativity’ or amounts to ‘indoctrination’), the simple fact that children and schools are typically assessed … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy of education | Tagged , , , , | 6 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

Working memory and differentiation

Posted on 14/02/2014 by evidenceintopractice

‘Differentiation’ is one of those ‘slippery’ terms that can mean different things to different people. I often find some of the strategies offered to be a bit incoherent and often question how evidence-based they really are. Here’s a possible alternative … Continue reading →

Posted in Psychology for teachers | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments