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What Teachers Really Need to Know About Education Research

Carl Hendrick, head of research at Wellington College, talks about the things most teachers are wrongly told about research into learning…

Carl Hendrick
by Carl Hendrick
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Download this feature’s free poster, designed by Oliver Caviglioli, on evidence-based student study tips here.


‘Head of research’ is quite an unusual job title for someone working in a school – are you a teacher? Yes I am first and foremost an English teacher. For me, being able to stand in a room with kids and talk about Shakespeare is a joy and a privilege and my interest in research is really borne out of a desire to be able to do that more effectively.

So, at Wellington, do you do your own research, analyse other people’s, or both? We have done a range of research projects. Three years ago we partnered with Harvard to do a major study in partnership with other schools in our area on self-regulation; however, more recently I feel that teachers should be reading and applying research as opposed to ‘doing’ research.

Workload is a serious issue and there are already examples of research being used inappropriately in schools.

In truth, there are probably five pieces of research that teachers should read and then discuss them with colleagues and apply them to their own practice (see Rosenshine on instruction or Dunlosky on study skills).

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learnt since taking on this role? Just how misinformed most teachers are about how children learn. This is not the fault of teachers, but rather a systemic one. I was three years into my teaching career before I encountered evidence that challenged nonsense like learning styles.

When I began to read findings from cognitive psychology around things like the limitations of working memory and the power of retrieval practice, I was amazed at not just by how useful and applicable it was, but also that I had never heard of any of it!

And what is the most significant change that’s been implemented in the school as a result of your department’s work? I think it’s the unseen change which is characterised by a more research-informed culture.

Last year we did a fairly big project where we took around 100 questions about classroom practice from teachers in our school and partner schools and put them to experts like Dylan Wiliam, Doug Lemov and others with a simple focus; what does this look like in the classroom?

We then turned this into a book which we gave to all staff. These things are hard to measure but the hope is that that it leads to a more research-informed staff where ultimately, teachers are more reflective about their practice.

Finally, what’s the most important known unknown in education at the moment, in your opinion? One area where we really don’t have a solid grasp is the impact of technology on learning and more importantly, the mental health of young people. There are two main reasons for this; firstly, it is a very difficult thing to research and secondly, what we mean by ‘technology’ is a very rapidly changing field.

However, there is evidence that social media, and smartphone addiction, are having a potentially disastrous impact on student wellbeing (Twenge 2017).

Technology is here to stay and we need to look at the most effective ways of incorporating it where appropriate, but there is a danger that Silicon Valley entrepreneurialism is informing our approach, as opposed to robust research and proper consultation with people who actually work in classrooms every day.

This is where research can empower teachers and school leaders to make proper, informed decisions in a way we have not seen before.


Download this feature’s free poster, designed by Oliver Caviglioli, on evidence-based student study tips, here.

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