Metacognition works in language learning, but what does that say about education research?

Recently, an unusually large systematic review of language learning and communication strategies was published, written by Javad Belali and Reza Khany. The authors analysed more than 400 studies, spanning roughly 50 years of research on second and foreign language acquisition. Their central question was straightforward: which strategies genuinely help learners improve their proficiency, and under… Read More Metacognition works in language learning, but what does that say about education research?

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Rethinking the Male to Female Ratio in Autism

Sometimes, a finding does not overturn a field but quietly reframes it. That is how I read the recent population-based study in The BMJ by Caroline Fyfe and colleagues on time trends in the male-to-female ratio in autism diagnoses. For decades, the story seemed relatively stable. Autism spectrum disorder was said to be three to… Read More Rethinking the Male to Female Ratio in Autism

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Meritocracy Is Not an Elevator, but an Escalator with Missing Steps

We like to tell ourselves that education is an elevator. If you have talent and show effort, you go up. The path may be steep, but the rules are clear and apply to everyone. For a long time, that story held some truth. In places like Flanders, education did function as a powerful engine of… Read More Meritocracy Is Not an Elevator, but an Escalator with Missing Steps

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What Parents Expect from Digital Communication with Schools

Communication between parents and school has become increasingly digital in recent years. Email, parent portals, learning platforms and messaging apps are now the backbone of how many schools communicate with families. It is often assumed that this is more efficient. But what do parents themselves actually think about it? That question is central to a… Read More What Parents Expect from Digital Communication with Schools

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Funny on Sunday: Andrew Tate on Books

Found this video here, and I agree: it’s funny as hell. Check here for more Funny on Sunday.

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Maybe It’s Not (Just) Reading That’s Disappearing, But a Shared Referential Framework

A recent opinion piece in The Atlantic has sparked a familiar debate among educators. Walt Hunter argues that many instructors today “meet students where they are” by continually lowering reading expectations. Shorter texts, fewer books, more summaries. Not because reading is unimportant. Rather, because we fear that students can no longer manage, or simply will… Read More Maybe It’s Not (Just) Reading That’s Disappearing, But a Shared Referential Framework

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Babies start learning even earlier than we thought

That babies learn early is something every parent knows. But that this learning goes far beyond recognising a voice in the womb, mirroring a smile, or gradually gaining control over their own body can still be surprising. Years ago, research by scholars such as Stanislas Dehaene already showed that babies can distinguish between quantities at… Read More Babies start learning even earlier than we thought

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What 20 Years of Data Teach Us About Teacher Shortages, and Why Context Matters

We often talk about “the teacher shortage” as if it were a single problem with a single cause and a straightforward solution. But as soon as you look more closely, that picture starts to crumble. In fact, a proper teacher shortage analysis reveals a much more complex reality. A recent international study based on twenty… Read More What 20 Years of Data Teach Us About Teacher Shortages, and Why Context Matters

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Why one well-studied story can sometimes tell us more than a thousand measurements

In conversations with students and with others, I sometimes notice their surprise when I mention case studies. Science, it seems, is assumed to be something you do with large samples, complex models, and tables full of asterisks signalling statistical significance. As if you can only learn something from hundreds or thousands of participants, and not… Read More Why one well-studied story can sometimes tell us more than a thousand measurements

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Edtech: Big Profits for Companies, Little Learning for Students?

This article from The Economist has been sitting in my open tabs for quite some time. Not because it is sensational, but because it captures something that has been in the air for a while. The topic of educational technology and learning outcomes becomes essential here. The title alone is provocative: Edtech is profitable. It… Read More Edtech: Big Profits for Companies, Little Learning for Students?

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