This blog reflects on the recent work and thinking of Dr Tom Perry, author of the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF’s) Cognitive Science in the Classroom (Perry et al., 2021).
The EEF review explored what happens when cognitive science is applied in realistic classroom conditions. While concluding that cognitive science shows great promise and recommending that teachers have working knowledge of it, it is fair to say that it also raised a few critical questions.
I’ve spoken with Tom to discuss some of the questions thrown up by the review.
And it seems we have a problem…
On the one hand, cognitive science research in the laboratory and controlled classroom conditions seems to turn out positive, replicable results supporting the use of techniques like retrieval, spacing, interleaving, dual coding, elaboration etc.
