Technicians have long been a hidden workforce within universities. When people outside the academy have any idea what they do, their assumption is usually that they “just clean test tubes and put equipment away”. Yet throughout my technical career, I have never met anyone with such a limited job description. In fact, those working in […] … learn more→

Most of us assume that learning another language is very difficult. You need special skills to remember both vocabulary and grammar rules and, at the same time, must be able to converse fluently with a native speaker. So how do we actually learn a language? What is the best way? And how can teachers help […] … learn more→

A recently released policy guide book for teachers and schools has been receiving some criticism. For instance, an article in the Daily Telegraph claimed: Teachers are being told not to use phrases like “girls and boys”, “normal” and “other” in class – but they should make students aware of “superdiversity” and “declare a climate change emergency” […] … learn more→

Many students across Australia wear traditional school uniforms. These consist of button-up shirts, tailored trousers, pleated skirts or tunics, and black leather shoes. This is despite the fact most students, teachers and parents support a move away from traditional uniforms to ones more comfortable for students and more supportive of a range of activities they do at […] … learn more→

Whether you are a teacher or a tradesman, stress is a big problem across the developed world. The pace of life doesn’t seem to be showing any signs of slowing down as we move into the second half of 2021. According to the Harvard Business Review, stress at work costs the US healthcare system between […] … learn more→

Sarcasm is simple! Yeah, right. Although sarcasm is widespread, found across languages and in the various ways we communicate, it is not simple. For most children, learning to understand sarcasm is challenging. Sarcasm can be defined as “the use of remarks that clearly mean the opposite of what they say, made in order to hurt someone’s […] … learn more→

Despite the change in direction towards methodologies that prioritize interaction and communication for the teaching of foreign languages, we remain anchored and constrained in the paradigm of the use of a single language to teach that same language. Today we know that in human nature there is no room for compartmentalized languages ​​and that the limits […] … learn more→

In a park in July, during the picnic following the end-of-year concert of a musical initiation device through orchestral practice, several children spontaneously grab their instruments and start playing Frère Jacques for ” say goodbye to their music teacher ”. Visibly moved, Bernard, one of the executives of the device, turns to us and declares: “No, but don’t […] … learn more→

Black people make up just 9% of the STEM workforce in the U.S. As a scholar who studies how STEM educators can more effectively reach Black students, I want to help all people develop an understanding of how anti-Black racism is a significant barrier for Black students learning STEM. Many scholars have argued that our current ways of teaching STEM are bad […] … learn more→

When we decided last summer to create an undergraduate course about pandemics, we faced skepticism. Weren’t students and instructors tired of the COVID-19 pandemic? And would looking at pandemics from the perspective of numerous disciplines make it hard to address the topic with depth, or would we achieve a sense of cohesion? As an anthropologist, […] … learn more→