It is a truth universally acknowledged – and bemoaned – that pupils do not learn all that they are taught. They may learn something. They may even learn a lot. But it may not be a lot of what we think we have taught them.
If you multiply these learning failures thirty times in the classroom, then you capture the near-infinite challenge – and the unpredictable brilliance – of learning and teaching. The reasons for these learning failures are complex and multifaceted, but if we can better understand why they occur, then we can do a better job of addressing them. When we can more accurately diagnose when learning is likely to fail, we can adapt our teaching with a greater likelihood of success.
My book draws upon an array of practical examples and research evidence to tackle eight of the most common reasons why learning fails:
1 The narrow limits of working memory
2 Patchy prior knowledge
3 The nagging nature of misconceptions
4 A curious case of overconfidence
5 Faulty planning strategies
6 An inability to learn independently
7 Wandering attention and miserly mental effort
8 Falling motivation in the face of failure.
The book is written for busy teachers and leaders looking to develop teaching and learning.
You can order from Amazon now HERE
Or order direct from Routledge now HERE.
In the coming days, I am going to add free resources to run alongside the book, so sign up to my website for free access.
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