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Fostering Curiosity in the Classroom: “What Percentage of Animals are...

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: November 9, 2019

When we ask students to predict the answers to questions, we make them more curious about those answers. Continue reading →

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Tea and Macbeth: Autobiographical vs. Semantic Memory

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: November 6, 2019

Dramatic classroom events are memorable, but they’re the wrong kind of memorable if we want students to learn the underlying concepts. Clare Sealy explains why. Continue reading →

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Inquiry- and Problem-Based Pedagogy: Dramatic Results in South America (?)

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: November 4, 2019

This study conclusively shows that good teaching is more effective than bad teaching. Continue reading →

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Today’s Neuro-Nonsense: Reading Brainwaves in the Classroom

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: November 1, 2019

Live EEGs in the classroom just don’t work this way. Continue reading →

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Getting Research to Work in Schools

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: October 30, 2019

Some schools hire “research leads” to encourage research-based teaching in their schools. Does this approach work? Can it? Continue reading →

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Prior Knowledge: Building the Right Floor

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: October 27, 2019

Researchers can demonstrate that some core knowledge is essential for students to start learning about a topic. Teachers can use that guidance to improve learning for all students. Continue reading →

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Faster Learners Remember Better (Perhaps)

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: October 25, 2019

Adults who learned word pairs faster also remembered them better the following day. How does this research apply to schools? For lots of reasons, we just don’t yet know… Continue reading →

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Motivation = “Self-Determination” + Common Sense

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: October 23, 2019

Common sense tells us that teachers should offer clear goals and specific feedback. Research supports that guidance, with an important caveat. Continue reading →

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What if a Research-Supported Educational Idea is Unconstitutional?

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: October 21, 2019

A religious studies professor argues that required mindfulness programs in schools create constitutional problems. She also offers solutions. Continue reading →

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When Introverts Act Like Extraverts (and Vice Versa)

Andrew Watson
by: Andrew Watson
Posted on: October 19, 2019

Surprising new findings suggest that introverts can act like extraverts — and that they get some important benefits from doing so. This finding asks us to rethink powerful arguments about schools and personality types. Continue reading →