How useful is cognitive science really?
Written by: Louise Bailey
4 min read
Louise Bailey (CTeach), Secondary Teacher of English, Saffron Walden County High School, UK
When asked to decide on a topic of interest for my recent place on the Certificate in Evidence-Informed Practice with the Chartered College, I had no doubts that I wanted to discuss cognitive science. My aim was to compare the older research that provides theoretical principles and the more recent applied research based on research in the classroom. In particular, I wanted to explore the tools that teachers can use to support learning and decide how important cognitive science is for my practice.
I have been a qualified teacher for three years and have taught at a few schools in the Cambridgeshire area. To inform my discussion of the importance of cognitive science, I asked three teachers of varying stages in my secondary school about their views:
‘I find it stimulating but pulling me out for conferences rather than allowing me time in the classroom is not useful.’ (ECT)
‘It’s be
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