Blog Archives

Teachers say working with students kept them motivated at the start of the pandemic

Teachers say working with students kept them motivated at the start of the pandemic

Of all the things teachers do on the job, we found that teachers enjoy interacting with students the most – and that the positive feelings when working with students intensified once schools shifted to remote learning during the pandemic. This finding is based on a study that enabled us to examine how teachers felt about various aspects […] … learn more→

Sats – why bringing back tests for 14-year-olds could help disadvantaged students

Sats – why bringing back tests for 14-year-olds could help disadvantaged students

The UK government is reportedly considering bringing back national curriculum tests (known as Sats) for 14-year-olds in England. The reasons cited were that, without formal assessment to mark the end of key stage three (KS3 – years seven, eight and nine of secondary school) children were at risk of losing focus, and losing out. The KS3 Sats were […] … learn more→

Teachers' Day: achievements and challenges of a profession in constant change

Teachers’ Day: achievements and challenges of a profession in constant change

In Spain there are a little more than three-quarters of a million non-university professors (specifically, 755,242). It is a very important group in the workforce. Teachers’ Day, established by UNESCO in 1994, is a perfect occasion to reflect on what these hundreds of thousands of professionals do and how they work. Being a teacher has always been a laborious […] … learn more→

Children on individual education plans: What parents need to know, and 4 questions they should ask

Children on individual education plans: What parents need to know, and 4 questions they should ask

Already a month into the school year, and after two years of disrupted learning by COVID-19, students with special education needs have been deeply affected. Individual education plans (IEPs) have become a crucial part of the education system. And the number of students on IEPs is growing across Ontario public schools. IEPs are created for students who are defined […] … learn more→

Financial education remains a pending subject

Financial education remains a pending subject

Despite the fact that the uncertainty generated by the pandemic has allowed the savings rates of Spanish families to increase for several quarters, Spain continues to maintain one of the lowest savings rates in the European Union. Saving is still the pending issue. Different factors that explain the lack of savings are mixed. On the one hand, it is a country with […] … learn more→

Why charter schools are not as ‘public’ as they claim to be

Why charter schools are not as ‘public’ as they claim to be

Proponents of charter schools insist that they are public schools “open to all students.” But the truth is more nuanced. As an education policy researcher – and as author of a new book about charter schools I wrote with fellow researcher Wagma Mommandi – I have discovered that charter schools are not as accessible to the public as they are often […] … learn more→

Working with insects in class can promote an investigative attitude

Working with insects in class can promote an investigative attitude

What if we work in the classroom with insects, arachnids, etc., better known to children as bugs? It is very interesting to work with arthropods as an animal model due to the high diversity of anatomical models that they present and because of the ease of observing them both in the classroom and in their environment. […] … learn more→

Homework, a war that lasts

Homework, a war that lasts

The new school year has started, and with it the issues around homework are coming back to the fore. Can we really give students work to do outside the classroom in primary? This is a question that is regularly asked and on which a vagueness remains. While students may have readings to do or lessons to learn at […] … learn more→

What ancient desks tell us about the history of education

What ancient desks tell us about the history of education

Most of us have sat in front of a blackboard. In our classroom there were tables, chairs, shelves, books, and other materials. Older children remember school desks , inkwells, writing pens, Franco’s photos or maps hanging on the walls. All these objects are valuable for the study of the past of education and can give us information that we will […] … learn more→

In the world’s largest Muslim population, most parents support sexual health education in schools

In the world’s largest Muslim population, most parents support sexual health education in schools

Schools play an important role in ensuring that young people receive comprehensive education about relationships and sexual health. Based on three decades of research from around the world, we know that school-based education is highly effective. It supports young people to be happy and healthy adults, and it reduces their risk of harm. Sadly, many schools around […] … learn more→