In a neuroscience-focused episode, we start with a new model of how having agency influences how much our brains are learning from moment to moment. Building classroom routines that emphasize student choice, from tiny procedural choices to major learning decisions, can boost the positive impacts of dopamine on their brain’s learning pathways. Later, we read an experimental study of the impacts of emotional events on long-term memory. How can we leverage the benefits of positive emotional experiences in authentic, sustainable ways all year long?
Student collaboration is a powerful tool for learning in many contexts, and we read a meta-analysis that highlights the benefits to both the givers and receivers of help in peer tutoring situations. It seems to be almost categorically good… but the details of successful programs remain elusive. Later, we read about how group structure predicts student creativity. How do we teach processes that prepare students to be ready to be independent when creativity matters most?
Our season finale again reviews the most noteworthy papers from the past year. We reflect on hosting student data talks, the use of errors in the classroom, and more. We also spend time thinking about our goals for the types of papers we read and what kinds of “shoulds” (or “shouldn’ts”) we hope to get from them. Later, we share the results of a follow-up analysis of our past most noteworthy papers. Where are they now, and what do we hope to see from the papers we highlight each year in the field more broadly?
Education research, from technology to instruction to design, too often uses an instrumentalist approach that assumes the right tool or trick will simply solve a problem. Jason McDonald joins to talk about the need for entangled research that actually changes both the researcher and the system for the better. Later, we read The Opportunity Makers and reflect on how some important flaws put key findings at odds with most other educational research.
In this extra length episode, we talk with Dr. Imogen Herrick about her work developing Community Science Data Talks. These talks help students engage the local consequences of climate change to develop their STEM knowledge while navigating their emotional experiences with the data. Our ranging conversation touches on the need for local data sources, fostering student agency, and cultivating civic empathy and hope.
All professional learning occurs when teachers try things in their classroom and iterate to make it better. We reflect on the importance of articulating aspirational goals and supporting teachers as they iterate toward their goals as on-going professional development. Later, we grapple with how research on the impact of educational technology cannot exist outside of the instructional context. What problem does any given technology help teachers solve, and how effectively does it help teachers solve it?
Dual language programs provide a local opportunity for students to get closer to an immersive experience learning a language directly within their school community. However, we read research on the barriers to providing multilingual instruction that fosters racial literacy within a similarly multilingual context. Later, we look at the positive impact of high quality instructional materials for English-language learners that improves their test performance while substantially increasing their ability to engage in effective argumentation.
Team teaching is increasing in popularity among schools to help educators work together in their daily practice. We read about different models for team teaching and think about how it maps to our past experiences in a wide variety of teaming approaches from our own careers. Later, we reflect on how to develop epistemic empathy. Our ability to take the perspective of students who don’t yet know our content helps us be better guides in their learning journeys, but relies on our hard won experience in the classroom.
Professional Learning Communities, or PLCs, provide a collegial network for educators to reflect on and improve their practice. We look at an evaluation of a pre-packaged PLC program that did not improve PLCs in schools, and wonder how we can support educators at the building level instead. Later, we look at how very early math is learned by children. They experience the snowball effect, meaning it is far more important that learners have experiences with math regardless of the specific types of math they may experience. Math is good, m’kay.
Edutopia did another review of the best research of 2024, and we are here to talk about it. First, discussion of student errors can lead to big gains in student learning. However, those gains only come in an interactive, collaborative class culture. Later, the remembered success effect shows that ending challenging learning experiences with clear victories on more attainable problems improves student perceptions of their learning in ways that can sustain their motivation long-term.
Teachers may give lectures or create videos to provide information to students, and the speed of information delivery affects the cognitive load of students. We read a study of video playback speed and support materials that shows speeding up the videos may not be particularly harmful to their usefulness, and that other supportive elements are more important to consider. Later, we read a study of UDL practices and differentiation that shows formative assessment, adaptive grouping, and growth mindset all have distinct impacts on instructional differentiation.
This month is our official “AI episode.” We are joined by Ben Riley, who wrote a guide for considering the use of AI for education. Our discussion considers the tasks for which AI might be useful, and the multiple concerns we have for its use as a substitute for thinking. Later, we read a study that shows AI can help people produce incrementally more creative task solutions. However, we are unconvinced that is ever the purpose of the educational process.
Effective statistics instruction - like many other disciplines - should empower students to ask questions and interrogate data to answer questions. We look at research evaluating the impact of an inquiry-focused statistics curriculum that showed very large gains for student learning by emphasizing statistical practice rather than mathematical routines. Later, we read a review of creativity research that identified key areas where students need practice with creativity (just like any other skill). We must make space for risk-taking and student exploration.
We start Season 8 in a tempestuous election cycle in the United States. We are joined by guest host Chris Carter to discuss an approach to civic education in today’s political landscape, with a focus on grounded discussions based on essential anchor questions. Later, we look at the absence of state standards for media literacy in the US. Their research provides a call and roadmap for teachers to prioritize explicit instruction in media literacy for students.
We review the most noteworthy papers of the past year, developments in our practice, and the top beers of AY23-24.
Many curriculum decisions are made at the district-level, but each classroom teacher must figure out how to implement those decisions for themselves. We read a study showing how “philosophical fidelity” is far more important than “mechanical fidelity” to the success of district efforts to improve instruction. Later, we read a study of required behavior grades in Germany that shows those grades have zero positive impact on… well, anything.
It can feel like people in disagreement just aren’t listening to each other. We read a study showing disagreement significantly reduces our perceptions of being listened to, regardless of how well our audience does listen. We discuss takeaways for exhibiting active listening behaviors that reduce the effect. Later, we read a review of research on aphantasia (or the condition of not seeing concrete images in your mind’s eye). We reflect on how this dimension of neurodiversity is connected to differences in a variety of human outcomes.
Practice is more effective when we space it out, rather than doing lots of repetitions all at once. We read research that looked at the effect of varied practice compared to identical practice over time. Their results show subtle variation helps students focus and remember the important elements upon recall. Later, we read an account of the negative impacts of graded math homework disproportionately affecting mothers in Canada. We see how homework takes away from family time and undermines the development of math identities.
Project-Based Learning is a thoroughly researched method of instruction with many benefits. We read a meta-analysis looking specifically at how PBL affects student motivation, and saw data illustrating just how important an excellent project prompt is to project success. Later, we read a study showing neurofeedback devices can increase the accuracy of students’ understanding of their own emotional state. We consider the responsibility of mindfulness programs to help students respond in healthy ways to their increased emotional engagement.
More schools are looking to address the socio-emotional needs of students, and a key area for that work is helping students manage anxiety in the classroom. We look at a study showing how some accommodations may be reinforcing their anxiety, and how teachers can help students develop healthier strategies for managing it. Later, we read a study of principal characteristics that support teacher self-efficacy and a shared sense of collective efficacy. Communication and modeling are essential, while coercion is deeply ineffective.