Reading Time: 3 minutes Do practice quizzes help students learn without stress? Teachers who are up to speed with student mental health, pedagogy and working memory, will know that when anxiety is increased, retrieval weakens … What this looks like in the classroom is when a teacher surprises a student by asking them a question. In that two-second moment ..read more

Reading Time: 4 minutes What reasons would encourage more teachers to become school leaders? We have a teacher recruitment problem, but we also have a headteacher problem too. A report to the Education Select Committee in 2023 said we have the “highest number of vacancies” reported since 2010 and the highest working hours reported among headteachers. Now, I don’t for ..read more

Reading Time: 6 minutes How do authors design their book covers? I will publish my 12th book later this year. The general public will see the final book cover and will not know anything different. I wanted to share some insights about book design evolution and decisions made along the way … Here are the book designs I have ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes What is the current perception of formative assessment in the classroom? As part of my research to widen the debate on marking and feedback, I’ve been gathering data from teachers to learn more about the current gaps and challenges schools and teachers face with formative assessment. Ignoring questioning, over the last term, 122 teachers have ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes What is the best way to study? Exploring what impact different study techniques have on student exam scores and how teachers can guide students’ study habits for success. Research at the University of Wisconsin (Bartoszewski, 2015) explored the correlation between ten well-known study techniques (Dunloswky et al., 2013) and academic performance. The research tested how ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Is concept mapping the key to unlocking deeper learning? Concept mapping is a visual tool for organising and representing knowledge. It involves creating diagrams that depict relationships between concepts, forming a structured graphical representation of ideas and information … This research reveals creating a concept map in the absence of textbooks, followed by free recall ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Do you believe a burst of 5-star jumps during a lesson can improve student recall? This research explores how brief bursts of physical activity can enhance students’ focus and learning, transforming lessons into engaged spaces! Integrating short, intense physical activities improves blood flow to the brain, thereby keeping students’ minds active and ready to absorb ..read more

Reading Time: < 1 minute What is low-stakes quizzing, and how do teachers use it in the classroom? Low-stakes quizzing is revolutionising primary classrooms, making learning engaging and effective without the stress of additional workload … After watching the video below, ask yourself: Why are so many teachers raving about Primary Quiz?Click To Tweet Low-stakes quizzing involves regularly testing students ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes How do we encourage more teachers to be guided by academic research and become critical consumers? The Education Endowment Foundation has published a short guide to help teachers and schools become research-informed … If you’ve not seen this document, it’s worth reviewing and sharing it with colleagues. Here is quick summary without reproducing the material ..read more

Reading Time: 2 minutes Is your school ready to take the dialogue of feedback, one step further? This research offers a conceptual matrix of feedback that bridges research to practice with the aim of feedback being a driver to promote improvement. The research study “Matrix of Feedback for Learning” (Brooks et al., 2019) helps develop a critical aspect of ..read more