Jan Nedermeijer
In the excellent Blog '3-Star learning experience. An Evidence-Informed Blog for Learning Professionals' prof. dr. P.A. Kirschner raises the question: 'Should our teachers (and future teachers) understand how their students learn?' This is not a rhetorical question. He refers to two research projects, of the National Council on Teacher Quality in the USA and the replication study of the Open University Master educational sciences respectively, in which the researchers evaluate if there is enough information in the textbooks for teacher education about learning strategies which have been proven very effective, inexpensive, easy to use etc. For example the learning strategies distributed practice (spacing studying over time), retrieval practice (actively recalling information to mind) or elaboration/posing probing questions (explaining and describing ideas with many details).
Results of the two research projects
- In the research project of the National Council on Teacher Quality in the USA (NCTQ) the researchers conclude that no textbooks present information about more then one of these learning strategies.
- Together with students of the Open University Master Educational sciences a replication study was realized about the situation in Belgium (Flanders) and the Netherlands. The research was focussed on the question if the two learning principles distributed practice and retrieval practice are presented in the textbooks and syllabi of the teacher education programs.
In their blog the authors conclude: 'As in the US, the results for Flanders and the Netherlands are not encouraging. We found only three textbooks in which both strategies were thoroughly explained. [ .....]
When we looked at the materials combined per teacher education institute, we found that only three teacher education institutes provided accurate written study material to their students. [....]
Finally, we found that a number of doubtful principles without scientific evidence (such as learning styles and multiple intelligences) were given more attention than proven strategies'.
According to the blog both the NCTQ-study and the replication study give a clear indication
'That information on the most relevant methods that teachers should know to optimise the learning of their students is too often missing or incomplete in the teaching materials in teacher education'.
Therefore, the authors of the blog 'advocate for an extensive scientific knowledge base, which gleans the most essential insights and provides guidance to a readable guideline with references to primary research. The sources mentioned above can serve as a starting point'. This is because they 'believe that it is impossible for students to discover the most effective learning strategies by themselves because often these strategies clash with their intuition'.
'That information on the most relevant methods that teachers should know to optimise the learning of their students is too often missing or incomplete in the teaching materials in teacher education'.
Therefore, the authors of the blog 'advocate for an extensive scientific knowledge base, which gleans the most essential insights and provides guidance to a readable guideline with references to primary research. The sources mentioned above can serve as a starting point'. This is because they 'believe that it is impossible for students to discover the most effective learning strategies by themselves because often these strategies clash with their intuition'.
The blog ends on the final note
'Educating high-quality teachers implies the use of qualitatively strong learning materials, with sufficient value attached to (learning) strategies that work. Our teachers deserve this, and even more, our pupils / students in the next generations deserve teachers who know how they learn and how to help them learn better. This article will hopefully contribute to increasing such awareness for an evidence-informed practice, while simultaneously calling for action to fulfil this responsibility.'
'Educating high-quality teachers implies the use of qualitatively strong learning materials, with sufficient value attached to (learning) strategies that work. Our teachers deserve this, and even more, our pupils / students in the next generations deserve teachers who know how they learn and how to help them learn better. This article will hopefully contribute to increasing such awareness for an evidence-informed practice, while simultaneously calling for action to fulfil this responsibility.'