Research Domain 4:
Learner Habits
“Learners develop habits through deliberate practice – routines and mindsets that become automatic and help them tackle challenges with resilience and focus.”
Doug Lemov
Our Purpose
The aim of these projects is to provide teachers with evidence-based learning strategies that help students understand how they learn, strengthen their cognitive and metacognitive skills, and build the independent learning habits needed to succeed academically and beyond.
Rationale
While curriculum and assessment changes are often outside the control of classroom teachers and students, research-informed learning strategies can provide an enduring and reliable foundation for student achievement and success.
The Science of Learning is a developing body of work that is increasingly being recognised as a means of creating equity of outcomes for all students. Understanding the relationship between the ‘working memory’ and ‘long term memory’ is essential to ensuring that learning is taking place. This, alongside our understanding of the limitations of our cognitive load, sits at the heart of the Science of Learning.
This strand of our research centre focuses on utilising knowledge about how our brain works, and translating this into practical strategies that can be used in the classroom, and during independent study. It will also inform decisions we make about creating the best learning environments for our students.
We aim to set students up with habits that enhance their learning, and we know that “understanding cognitive load theory helps teachers design teaching materials and lessons that reduce the demands on learners’ working memory, so that they learn more effectively.” (The Education Hub. (2024, September 12). Using cognitive load theory to inform teaching and learning. The Education Hub.)
Research Questions
Potential projects may explore questions such as:
Articles and Publications
