Effective Professional Development: Revisiting Prior Learning
30 June 2022
The Research School Network explores mechanism 2 from the EEF’s recent guidance report. According to the guidance, professional development is more likely to be effective when we: revisit previous topics or techniques…
ViewIs play-based learning compatible with retrieval practice for primary schools?
17 June 2022
There sometimes seems to be this unspoken battle between play-based learning and retrieval practice. Some teachers' perception of retrieval is that is best for older pupils, as it links more…
ViewHow do classroom displays impact cognitive load?
7 June 2022
Classroom displays are very common in schools, with teachers often putting lots of effort into decorating their students’ learning space. Previous research suggests that classroom displays do affect students’ learning in…
ViewHow ‘Together for Childhood’ is bringing about change for local communities
28 May 2022
Together for Childhood is an innovative place-based programme that brings local partners and families together to prevent child abuse. The NSPCC undertakes research and evaluation activities across four Together for…
ViewIndependent Commission on Assessment in Primary Education (ICAPE) launched
14 May 2022
The evidence behind Sats and other primary assessments used in schools comes under the spotlight as a major new review launches. The Independent Commission on Assessment in Primary Education (ICAPE)…
ViewEEF: Pupil premium support resource
7 May 2022
The Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) has released a new evidence brief, which identifies robust research that schools can use to guide their decision-making around how to use their pupil premium funding.…
ViewHow to use retrieval practice effectively in the classroom
4 May 2022
Retrieval practice, the process of generating an answer to a question, is one of the most effective learning strategies. There are many different ways to implement it in the classroom…
ViewCounterintuitive concepts about how we learn
30 April 2022
The problem: learning takes place in the brains of our pupils. We can’t see it. We can only make inferences based on what our pupils say and do. A faulty…
ViewThe Impact of Covid-19 on pupil attainment – a summary of research evidence
25 March 2022
The pandemic and associated partial school closures have led to considerable disruption to the learning of pupils in England. In order to inform policy- and decision-making, a range of studies…
ViewImproving mathematics through spatial thinking
24 March 2022
Spatial thinking matters for mathematics development. In addition to geometry, it is important in understanding number lines, working with pattern, interpreting graphs and using measurements. Also referred to as ‘spatial reasoning’…
ViewEEF: recruiting for trials
23 March 2022
The Education Endowment Foundation is looking for primary schools to participate in upcoming trials of the following educational programmes:- Stop and Think: A software programme which uses quizzes and games to…
ViewBreaking the code: can dual coding create a redundancy effect?
23 March 2022
Dual coding, which is the process of blending words and pictures together, allows students to learn and recall information better. However, a separate area of psychology, the Redundancy Effect, suggests…
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