Transforming teaching: How learning science is shaping education in Australia  

The science of learning has become a lightning rod for debate among Australian educators, researchers and policymakers. Beneath these debates, however, are important insights about how individuals learn and how teachers can support them to do so.  

The science of learning draws on insights from cognitive science, educational psychology, neuroscience and other aligned disciplines.

These insights support teachers in knowing how to best introduce new knowledge to learners, how challenging new activities should be for novices and experts, what kinds of activities best support learning and thinking and how emotion, motivation and relationships interact with these processes.

Core science-of-learning principles are not controversial; rather, they come from strong bodies of well-established research across decades, countries and study designs.

Here Associate Professor Penny Van Bergen, from Macquarie University’s School of Education, explores the opportunities and considerations ahead – and how teachers can apply the science of learning in their classrooms.  

Memory myths

Central among the contributions of cognitive science to education is our understanding of how human memory works.

This includes the active role of working memory for thinking, problem solving and decision-making, the flow of new knowledge to long-term memory for safekeeping, the use of that knowledge when later engaging in higher-order tasks, and the importance of attention in guiding our limited working memory resources to the task at hand.

When we know that working memory is limited, and by how much, we are better able to consider how different pedagogical designs might overload working memory and how to get around this. Likewise, when we know that long-term memory pathways are strengthened via active cognitive engagement, we can adjust the time we ask students to read and listen versus answering questions, problem solving and applying new knowledge themselves.

It is clear from this view that memory is not just a matter of rote recall; rather, it is a powerful engine for encountering and actively engaging with the world. Teachers who understand these well-established cognitive principles are better equipped to design learning activities for students that are appropriate in scope and scale.

More than memory

Of course, the science of learning is about more than memory alone.

Emotions interact with learning in multiple ways: anxiety inhibits memory pathways; excitement, sadness and anger hijack attention, and we remember emotional content better than non-emotional content precisely because it is more interesting and relevant to us.

Researchers interested in enactive and embodied forms of cognition turn to the body as a source of learning, while those interested in motivation and engagement consider the personal, relational and situational conditions that best capture student interest and enable full attention.

How these various science-of-learning phenomena apply to teaching at different ages and in different disciplines is a matter of careful consideration. While core science-of-learning principles relating to memory and learning have been well established over many decades, research exploring mechanisms, neural underpinnings and implications is ongoing.

So too is applied research exploring the use of specific pedagogical techniques in different age groups and disciplines. Some age groups are better considered than others (particularly middle childhood and adolescence), as are some disciplines (particularly mathematics and science).

Teachers must combine existing research and their own professional expertise to consider how suggested techniques might apply in their specific teaching context and for the learning outcomes in question.

Transforming teaching

 

Following the Federal Government’s recent Teacher Education Expert Panel (TEEP) recommendations, it is now a policy mandate to integrate findings from the science of learning into all Initial Teacher Education programs across Australia. This is good news for future teachers as they commence their careers.

Much of this “core content” is already captured under the first Australian Professional Teaching Standard: “Know students and how they learn.” Yet the TEEP reforms go further in specifying content about the brain, attention, memory, and learning that all future teachers must understand.

They also specify that teachers must be taught to identify neuromyths – wrongheaded ideas about learning styles, multiple intelligences and more – and to replace these ideas with robust evidence about children’s learning and development.

The science-of-learning content mandated in TEEP is not exhaustive, and balanced university curricula are needed that also consider children’s socio-emotional development, wellbeing, motivation and more.

We must also teach about the robustness of research evidence, recognising that what we know in 50 years will likely far exceed what we know today. Nonetheless, teachers with good grounding in current science-of-learning phenomena will be well placed to interrogate and integrate new research findings as they come to light.  

Tips for teachers

 

Teachers at all levels must be empowered with a strong understanding of the most well-established science-of-learning principles – and the tools to capitalise on these in classrooms. They must also have opportunities to learn about the possible applications of these principles and the strength of the current research evidence supporting them.

When considering specific science-of-learning phenomena, teachers must ask:

• What does this tell me?
• What might I need to change about my practice?
• How robust is the evidence for this specific phenomena or recommendation?

Researchers intentionally isolate single variables when establishing causal relationships, while teachers must use their professional expertise to knit together insights about children’s age, topic expertise and engagement together with the demands of the discipline – alongside the intended learning outcomes.

Empowering teachers with nuanced, context-sensitive understandings of the science of learning is essential to nurturing the learners of today and preparing them for the world of tomorrow.

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