Teachers are virtually never taught how learners make decisions about studying, concentration and participation, and are not able to find this in educational literature. The Behavioural Learning Classroom breaks new ground, allowing teachers to harness their students’ traits and quirks to produce a more effective and compassionate classroom.
Important lessons from behavioural science
Optimising lesson design
Effective (home)work
Marking and feedback
Rewards and sanctions
The physical environment of the classroom
Pupil behaviour
Designing behavioural experiments and analysing data
Supported by fundamental findings in behavioural science, this book provides practical, accessible, tried and tested techniques to improve the mental wellbeing of pupils and teachers alike. It is an enjoyable and accessible read for any teacher or school leader who wants to enhance their pupils’ experience of learning.
Author(s): Graham Mallard
Publisher: Routledge
Year: 2023
Language: English
Pages: 177
City: London
Cover
Endorsements
Half Title
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Acknowledgements
List one: ten key things our pupils should know
List two: the behavioural studies
1 Introduction
1.1 Birds of prey and pigs
1.2 Understanding evolutionary throwbacks
1.3 Why not ‘nudge education’?
1.4 Behavioural science and neuroscience
1.5 The relationship with educational psychology
1.6 The structure of what follows
1.7 Three pupils in my past
1.8 Summary
2 The science: its purpose, strengths and limitations
2.1 Behavioural experiments
2.2 Procedural strengths
2.3 Procedural limitations
2.4 The replication crisis
2.5 Academic fraud
2.6 The WEIRD criticism
2.7 Overall assessment
2.8 Summary
Bibliography
Section one: learning
3 Lesson design
3.1 Mental tasks are tiring
3.2 We can only process so much at one time
3.3 Teaching enjoyable lessons
3.4 Losses and gains
3.5 Unknown unknowns
3.6 Overconfidence
3.7 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
4 Effective (home)work
4.1 The power of purpose
4.2 The importance of feeling proud
4.3 Making a start
4.4 Allocating time
4.5 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
5 Marking and feedback
5.1 The order matters
5.2 Impressions also matter
5.3 Negative feedback hurts
5.4 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
6 Rewards and sanctions
6.1 Segregating and combining rewards and sanctions
6.2 The power of ownership
6.3 The importance of fairness
6.4 Unintended consequences
6.5 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
7 The physical environment
7.1 Managing temptations and distractions
7.2 Wall displays
7.3 The cost of change
7.4 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
Section two: behaviour
8 Our two selves
8.1 Decision fatigue – again
8.2 Cognitive load – again
8.3 Emotions and self-control
8.4 Procrastination – again
8.5 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
9 Vicious cycles
9.1 Risk takers and risk lovers
9.2 The vicious effects of scarcity
9.3 The Zeigarnik effect
9.4 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
10 Nudges
10.1 Social nudges
10.2 Fun nudges
10.3 Personalised nudges
10.4 Ease nudges
10.5 Designing nudges for schools
10.6 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
Section three: wider issues
11 Wider issues
11.1 Overcoming decision fatigue
11.2 Timetabling
11.3 Subject choices
11.4 Meetings
11.5 Staff wellbeing
11.6 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
12 Themes
12.1 Theme one – wider planning
12.2 Theme two – helping our pupils to behave
12.3 Theme three – being flexible
12.4 Theme four – knowing our pupils
12.5 Theme five – harnessing our pupils’ cognitive traits
12.6 Theme six – knowing ourselves
12.7 Theme seven – unintended consequences
12.8 Final thoughts
12.9 Summary
13 The teacher-researcher’s behavioural science toolkit
13.1 Ethical considerations
13.2 Designing behavioural experiments
13.3 Analysing data and interpreting results: the case of a separate control group
13.4 Analysing data and interpreting results: the case of the same control group
13.5 Practical takeaways
Bibliography
Further reading
Index
