Evidence-informed education requires more than good intentions: How does research actually reach the classroom?

In recent years, the idea of evidence-informed education has been increasingly discussed in discussions about teaching. Policymakers refer to it. Research groups promote it. In conversations about education, it has almost become a default reference point: schools and teachers who should use research. From my own perspective, I am certainly not against this idea. Quite… Read More Evidence-informed education requires more than good intentions: How does research actually reach the classroom?

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Paper Mills and the Industrialisation of Scientific Fraud

Scientific fraud is often presented as a problem of individual researchers crossing the line. Think of cases such as Diederik Stapel, more recently Dan Ariely, or even Oliver Sacks. Someone fabricates data. Someone manipulates an image. And then someone writes an article that simply isn’t correct. But a recent PNAS study by Richardson et al. suggests that… Read More Paper Mills and the Industrialisation of Scientific Fraud

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Do Parents’ Smartphones Affect Children’s Attention and Behaviour?

Following my previous blog post about executive functions and the possible effects of the COVID period, I received an interesting question from a reader. In their staff room, they wondered whether something else might also play a role. Not only children’s own screen time, but also parents’ technology use. If parents are frequently on their… Read More Do Parents’ Smartphones Affect Children’s Attention and Behaviour?

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Funny on Sunday: this one is a bit silly, but it gave me a laugh

Check here for more Funny on Sunday.  

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Since the pandemic, some pupils seem to find it harder to sustain their attention

It is a remark I have heard more than once over the past few years from teachers, or seen appearing in Teacher Tapp results. Not as a grand theory or dramatic analysis, but simply as an observation from the classroom: “Since Covid, it seems as if some pupils have more difficulty paying attention.”“It takes longer… Read More Since the pandemic, some pupils seem to find it harder to sustain their attention

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Autonomy at School: The Difference Between “Having No Choice” and “Being Forced”

Autonomy is one of those concepts in education that almost automatically sounds positive. Giving students autonomy. Offering choices. Encouraging self-direction. However, autonomy frustration in school can be a real issue for both students and teachers. But in our psychology book and also here on this blog, I have discussed before that the story is somewhat… Read More Autonomy at School: The Difference Between “Having No Choice” and “Being Forced”

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Why intelligence is not located in one hemisphere of the brain (new research)

The idea that some people are “left-brain types” and others “right-brain types” is one of the most persistent educational myths I have been fighting for more than ten years. The notion was invented by an advertising man in New York in the previous century, yet it remains remarkably popular. New brain studies only make that… Read More Why intelligence is not located in one hemisphere of the brain (new research)

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Not all peers are equal: who influences what among young people?

Young people are surrounded by many peers in their daily lives. One of the most important topics in adolescent development is peer influence among adolescents. But which peers influence what? A paper by Mary Page Leggett-James, René Veenstra, Goda Kaniušonytė and Brett Laursen answers part of that question. The authors directly compare the influence of… Read More Not all peers are equal: who influences what among young people?

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Is Evidence-Informed Education Left, Right, or Neutral? Spoiler: None of the Above

In debates about education policy, ideas are quickly sorted into ideological boxes. Left. Right. Centrist. The same increasingly happens with evidence-informed education. Is it progressive? Is it conservative? Or does it float above politics altogether? The question sounds simple. The answer is not. In 2024, I watched a debate in Paris between Paul Howard-Jones and… Read More Is Evidence-Informed Education Left, Right, or Neutral? Spoiler: None of the Above

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Why students struggle in school: beyond simple explanations

Students struggle in school.That is not new.What is less clear is why. The answers we tend to give are often simple. Too simple. Lack of motivation. Too little effort. Not enough talent. Sometimes, even the reverse. Schools are outdated. They use the wrong teaching methods. And students are getting bored. Sometimes there is a grain… Read More Why students struggle in school: beyond simple explanations

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