I have been blogging about (primarily) educational research for over a decade now. Often, this involves new studies that I summarise, annotate, and try to place within what we already know. But what if the way you communicate research actually matters hardly at all? Through René Kneyber, I discovered a new study by Samuel Sims… Read More Why I’m not quitting blogging just yet
I have written a couple of posts about Alpha School over the past year. And some of them are a little sharper than what I normally write. In fact, there are three rants (1, 2 and 3) and one more moderate post. Benjamin Riley has written much more about this. So I was quite surprised… Read More A more nuanced video about Alpha School than you might expect
Has been a while since my last Funny on Sunday post featuring xkcd. Check here for more Funny on Sunday.
Next Tuesday, our new book on educational myths in Dutch will hit the shelves. It is an update of Urban Myths about Learning and Education, which has been around for quite a while now. We hope to have an international release ready for next year! The period between finishing a manuscript and the actual release is… Read More Another new study, another blow to the learning styles myth
Why do some young people manage to do well in school despite difficult home situations, poverty, migration, or other forms of vulnerability? In recent years, when discussing this question, you quickly end up talking about resilience. And it is true that some young people seem better able to cope with setbacks. They persevere, remain motivated,… Read More Resilience is not something purely individual: how some young people can overcome their difficult situation.
On Monday, Tracey Burns visited Leerpunt, and a large part of her professional life so far has been devoted to looking at trends that influence education. It was a strong contribution that could feed the idea that we live in times of change. But… that is, of course, a huge cliché, and she presented it… Read More Why education needs stability in a changing world
Correlation is not causality. It is perhaps one of the most frequently used phrases when I write about research here, and I have noticed that it can sometimes even irritate people. But a new NBER working paper by Andrew Johnston beautifully illustrates that the story usually only begins there. Johnston’s question is simple: can working… Read More Can working from home lead to more children? Correlation and causality
As I wrote yesterday, last week I spent time with several other researchers (and policymakers too, by the way) thinking about the worldwide decline in performance on PISA, PIRLS, TIMSS… Strikingly little attention was paid to teaching and instruction, by the way. I deliberately did not write “learning outcomes”. This is because that touches on… Read More Are PISA, PIRLS and TIMSS still fit for our times?
Last Friday, I was in Warsaw with a large group of researchers to bring together different findings on the global decline in learning outcomes. Many different explanations were discussed. I added a new one myself, which I hope to tell you more about soon. In the meantime, I would like to share the already published… Read More 10-year-olds are more often tired at school (and that is bad news)
When discussing teacher shortages, we often focus on the reasons people leave the education profession. So let’s approach the issue from a different angle in this post by asking: why do teachers stay? This is the focus of a qualitative study by Wanyue Chen and colleagues. Qualitative research does not allow for causal claims and… Read More A teacher who stays does not always remain the same teacher