“School SUX!” We’ve all heard it and some of us have felt it. It’s such a common sentiment that parents and teachers might be tempted to dismiss it. After all, school is good for you! Like vegetables. It is something you have to have, whether you like it or not. But does the intrinsic “good” […] … learn more→

I work a lot with artists and designers. Because I’m a bit of a magpie, I have a habit of collecting – and then using – their principles and approaches. A lot of them are interesting, because they make you – well, they make me – stop and think a bit.  I reckon that visiting […] … learn more→

When a mother asks Nicolás, 4 years old, if he has a girlfriend on his way out of school, the boy looks strangely at his father and says: “Dad, do we have a girlfriend?” the latest model of food processor. On a children’s birthday, one of the parents approaches Olivia, 7 years old, to ask […] … learn more→

In the wake of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, some elected officials are making calls anew for teachers to be armed and trained to use firearms to protect the nation’s schools. 1. What does the public think about arming teachers? According to a 2021 poll, 43% of Americans supported policies that allow school personnel to carry guns […] … learn more→

Children from low-income households are increasingly being segregated into different classrooms from their peers from higher-income households, according to recent research I have conducted with education policy scholar Dave E. Marcotte. From 2007 to 2014, we tracked all North Carolina public school students statewide, from third through eighth grades, observing how the students were grouped into math and English language […] … learn more→

Humans are unrivalled in the area of cognition. After all, no other species has sent probes to other planets, produced lifesaving vaccines or created poetry. How information is processed in the human brain to make this possible is a question that has drawn endless fascination, yet no definitive answers. Our understanding of brain function has […] … learn more→

Saving money is often considered to be one of the hardest things someone can do. However, it’s not exactly the act of saving that’s difficult. Instead, it’s the amount you’re able to save that determines everything. Not everyone can save $50 to $100 every month. Some may only be able to save as much as […] … learn more→

When advocates push for computer science education, usually they’re talking about boosting the number of schools offering computer science classes – with the intent to reach more students. But from our perspective as scholars of computer science education, a key factor is how many teachers are qualified to teach the subject. Data from 2020 indicates that […] … learn more→

The term “learning loss” – referring to what pupils are judged to have failed to learn as a result of the pandemic lockdowns – has been used widely in the media as well as in government documents. However, labelling a generation of school pupils as having suffered “learning loss” is likely to affect their self-esteem and self-belief. They will leave […] … learn more→

Revisions to the Australian primary school curriculum for geography mean children will learn much less about the world and its diversity than they do at present. They will learn nothing about some significant concepts such as climate. The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) launched the new version of the Australian Curriculum on May 9. ACARA described it […] … learn more→