Monthly Archives: September 2023

What helps students cope with academic setbacks? Our research shows a sense of belonging at school is key

What helps students cope with academic setbacks? Our research shows a sense of belonging at school is key

Academic challenges and difficulties are inevitable parts of school – this is how students learn. So researchers have long been interested in the ways students navigate these challenges and how to help them cope better. Recent research has focused on the concept of “academic buoyancy” or everyday resilience at school. This is about students’ capacity […] … learn more→

How to take lunch

How to take lunch

Recently, I challenged the hosts of the productivity podcast, On the Reg, to take a lunch break four days a week. You can hear it here (from 30:34 to 35:02). My challenge to the hosts Jason Downs and Inger Mewburn was simple: You have to be away from your desk for an hour. You can do no work […] … learn more→

4 steps to speed up recovery from post-pandemic 'learning loss'

4 steps to speed up recovery from post-pandemic ‘learning loss’

Since yesterday’s pandemic, we have often heard the term learning loss or a decline in students’ academic knowledge and skills. Our previous article discussed the potential for recovery from learning loss . Interestingly, some schools and students can recover from learning loss more quickly than others . What factors accelerated the recovery? 1. Curriculum adjustments The literature shows that curricula in developing countries tend […] … learn more→

National wants to change how NZ schools teach reading – but ‘structured literacy’ must be more than just a classroom checklist

National wants to change how NZ schools teach reading – but ‘structured literacy’ must be more than just a classroom checklist

If it wins the election, the National Party has vowed to shake up how children are taught to read and write. Part of this education overhaul includes a pledge to require the teaching of “structured literacy” in all year 0-6 classrooms. For many in education, the announcement is welcome. It signals a move to an explicit and […] … learn more→

Saving words – check your citations

Saving words – check your citations

It’s amazing how much citations can add to your word count. Before you know it, you’ve amassed a few hundred words just filling in brackets. Of course you need citations. You can’t just leave them out. You can’t just assert. Citing your sources acknowledges the work you’re building in, the work you’re using, the work […] … learn more→

Are the days of end-of-study projects as we know them numbered?

Are the days of end-of-study projects as we know them numbered?

End-of-study projects (TFE) are a fundamental part of the educational system in higher education that marks the end (or end) of the student’s passage through the university. However, they also place a considerable workload on teachers. Corrections, meetings and paperwork that add to all the other tasks we do each academic year. For some it is a […] … learn more→

70% of Australian students with a disability are excluded at school – the next round of education reforms can fix this

70% of Australian students with a disability are excluded at school – the next round of education reforms can fix this

The National School Reform Agreement is made about once every five years in Australia. This is the main way the federal government can steer changes in how Australian schools are run. The current reform agreement ends in December 2024, and the new one is starting to be developed. One of the early priorities is to improve outcomes […] … learn more→

“30 minutes of physical activity” at school: a system against sedentary lifestyle to be questioned

“30 minutes of physical activity” at school: a system against sedentary lifestyle to be questioned

The government is placing the start of the school year under the sign of Olympism and Paralympism . This year 2022-2023 would be “an opportunity to strengthen all the measures promoting the physical and sporting activities of students”, including the “30 minutes of daily physical activity” tested at the start of the 2020 school year and then generalized […] … learn more→

In maths, do primary school assessments promote gender inequalities?

In maths, do primary school assessments promote gender inequalities?

The Ministers of National Education follow one another, but the national assessments in mathematics and French carried out at the start of the year at different levels of schooling (CP, CE1, sixth, second, 1st year of CAP) continue . In 2023, they take place from September 11 to 22 and are even extended, for this start of the […] … learn more→

Instill fear or admit mistakes? Why close 'teachers' teach more

Instill fear or admit mistakes? Why close ‘teachers’ teach more

When students are afraid and lack confidence in their performance in front of their teachers and classmates, not only does their academic performance decline, but they also suffer from stress and anxiety or depression, because they fear failing or because they compare themselves to others. Although these feelings may be part of immaturity and lack of experience with many […] … learn more→