A character can be afraid, or angry, maybe sad. You can read this clearly in the children’s book. But if you look at the picture on the same page… There is a good chance you will see someone who looks… strikingly calm or happy. That is the finding of a new NBER working paper by… Read More Children’s books show many emotions in words, but far fewer in pictures
It is the basis for discussions about overdiagnosis. Every now and then, you even read possible explanations that seem more like conspiracy theories. Yet it is a fact: many more children and young people are diagnosed with ADHD or autism today than, say, ten or twenty years ago. In Denmark, for example, the number of… Read More Why are there more diagnoses of ADHD and autism now?
This is a pretty impressive study by Petr Svojanovský and colleagues, published in Learning and Instruction, where you shouldn’t get too hung up on the sample size. It seems relatively small, with 2 schools, 42 students, 6 teachers, and 2 teaching assistants. But the researchers wanted to know how teachers who are strong in inclusive… Read More What do highly inclusive teachers actually do?
Grade retention is a topic I have written about many times before. It can also lead to quite heated discussions in education. At the same time, the scientific consensus is fairly clear: it is generally not the best option. I know there are dissenting scientific voices, too. However, you still cannot avoid the question of… Read More Another possible negative effect of grade retention: your later earnings
Set an enthusiastic teacher in front of their class, the students will become enthusiastic too. And vice versa, enthusiastic students can also make their teacher enjoy teaching more. It does sounds logical, and in my own research I once found how contagious passion can be. This also fits nicely with the idea that what teachers… Read More Teachers and students influence each other’s emotions, but not quite as expected
One of the most striking conclusions from PISA 2025 may be wrong. A new analysis suggests that the apparent sharp decline among more advantaged students may largely be the result of a change in measurement. It was one of the most important new insights from PISA earlier this month: it is now mainly children from… Read More One of the most striking conclusions from PISA 2025 may be wrong!
How do you actually get research-based knowledge into the classroom? This is a question my colleagues at Leerpunt and I keep coming back to. Leerpunt is a knowledge broker for education in Flanders, Belgium. Publishing a report or a set of guidelines is one thing, but ensuring that the knowledge from it is actually put… Read More How do you get research-based knowledge into the classroom?
Sometimes it is frustrating that PISA data can only show us correlations. Not because correlations are worthless. Although the posts in which I keep hammering on about the difference may sometimes make it seem that way, some correlations almost beg for an explanation. A new study by Yifan Wang, Yanru Liu and Dennis Alonzo, published… Read More This PISA correlation is begging for an explanation
We often perceive competition as something bad in education. I promise this blog post will not be a plea to simply reintroduce it. But I’m bringing this topic up because a new study by Corwin Senko and Sarah Pallone suggests that perhaps we should not only look at if students want to perform better than… Read More Can a little competition be good for learning?
I had some reservations about posting this Onion cartoon, as some people may find it offensive. On the other hand, I thought it was thought-provoking enough to spark some discussion. And I have to admit, it also made me smile a bit. Check here for more Funny on Sunday.