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
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”
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)
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?
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 Schools are outdated.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
Curiosity has an almost mythical status in education. We want to spark it, stimulate it, and place it at the centre of learning. That makes sense. If you are curious, you want to know, you seek information, and you learn. A lot of research supports that idea. But, as is often the case, the story… Read More Is curiosity always good for learning?
You have probably noticed it too. When it comes to young people’s mental well-being and, more specifically, the decline of it, there is almost always a clear explanation somewhere. Social media, smartphones, parents, school pressure, the spirit of the times… Pick one, and you have a story that sounds convincing and is easy to remember.… Read More Can Soft Drinks Affect Teen Anxiety? A New Study Adds a Small Piece to a Big Puzzle
What helps with ADHD? You might immediately think of specific medications or therapies. But as you read this umbrella review by Gosling and colleagues in the BMJ, it quickly becomes clear that this is not a study that ends with one clear answer. Quite the opposite. Its main contribution is to bring structure to a… Read More What works for ADHD? A new review highlights the gap between effect and evidence
During the COVID pandemic, the advice was strikingly consistent: keep moving. Go for a walk, go for a run, stay active for your mental health. That advice did not come out of nowhere. It was already grounded in research at the time. And we know physical exercise has many benefits. But now we know more… Read More Meta-meta-analysis: Exercise helps mental health. But not always in the same way
You have probably heard it before: sleep on it, and suddenly everything will fall into place. It is the idea that dreams can be a source of insight and help you solve problems. Or at least that a good night’s sleep can. A recent study by Konkoly and colleagues tries to capture that idea experimentally.… Read More Dreaming of solutions? What a clever study actually shows (and what it does not)