Category: Research
People with strong attitudes tend to believe they understand science, but…
…people with strong attitudes tend to believe they understand science, while neutrals are less confident. A new study using data of +2000 respondents, revealed that people with strong negative attitudes to science tend to be overconfident about their level of understanding. But of course, there is a big chance that those people won’t believe this… Read More People with strong attitudes tend to believe they understand science, but…
How traffic pollution can hinder the brain
Every morning our children leave our house. Because of road works our street is lately one big traffic jam. And this new study suggests that could well be bad news: …common levels of traffic pollution can impair human brain function in only a matter of hours. The study was the first to show in a… Read More How traffic pollution can hinder the brain
Nothing new, but so worth repeating: there is a link between teachers’ job satisfaction, learning and more
Found this study via my colleague Jeroen Janssen. The study tells us again something we’ve known from earlier research, but that is undoubtedly worth repeating. Mark G. Harrison, Ronnel B. King, and Hui Wang used TALIS data from the OECD to examine the relationship between teacher job satisfaction and teaching quality, although the latter is always… Read More Nothing new, but so worth repeating: there is a link between teachers’ job satisfaction, learning and more
Music education boosts students’ wellbeing? I hoped so, but this study can’t tell
Imagine you read a press release stating: A new study demonstrates the benefits of music education to adolescent health and wellbeing. As a musician, I’m always glad to read such a headline. But…as a scientist, I always feel to be very cautious that your own confirmation bias doesn’t make you less critical. So, what about… Read More Music education boosts students’ wellbeing? I hoped so, but this study can’t tell
A teacher is better kind than strict-sounding
There will probably be 2 groups reading this post and this study: one group will think that the results are very obvious, and the other group will be very surprised and maybe even convinced the study is wrong. The essence: Strict-sounding teachers are worse at inspiring the classroom than their kind colleagues, and showed ‘controlling… Read More A teacher is better kind than strict-sounding
Are novice teacher induction programs worthwhile? (Best Evidence in Brief)
There is a new Best Evidence in Brief and this time I picked this important meta-analysis from this biweekly newsletter written up by Chenchen Shi, Johns Hopkins University. The first few years of a novice teacher’s career are important, and often accompanied by formalized induction programs aimed at helping teacher development and growth.A new meta-analysis published… Read More Are novice teacher induction programs worthwhile? (Best Evidence in Brief)
How a negative mood can help you spot inconsistencies
My two favourite muppets are Statler and Waldorf, and this new study shows that maybe they have hidden superpowers. When people are in a negative mood, they may be quicker to spot inconsistencies in things they read. But… when you actually read the study, it’s rather about Miss Piggy, as there were only female participants.… Read More How a negative mood can help you spot inconsistencies
Does inclusive education work? A report with a nuanced answer.
Before I start this blog post, I should tell you a little about myself for transparency. Before I started blogging and writing books, I was actively involved in several European projects on inclusive education. Historically, I can be called rather an advocate than a person against inclusive education. This weekend Dirk Van Damme shared a… Read More Does inclusive education work? A report with a nuanced answer.
Effective intervention to increase school engagement (guest post by Jeroen Janssen)
This guest post by Jeroen Janssen was first published here. How do you keep students engaged in education? This question was the focus of a new study by Roger Azevedo and colleagues. They developed the story tool, an intervention in which students use a story to learn strategies to monitor their engagement and learn to… Read More Effective intervention to increase school engagement (guest post by Jeroen Janssen)
From experience to meaning... 