Dr Nina Hood on how schools can make research practical and powerful, for every girl
How can we ensure every girl experiences teaching that truly sticks?
Dr Nina Hood, former secondary school teacher, Oxford-educated researcher, and founder of The Education Hub, has spent her career bridging the gap between research and practice. Ahead of her keynote at the Educating Girls Symposium at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch, New Zealand, she shares her thoughts on the science of learning, what still surprises her, and the changes that could make a real difference in schools.
What’s one thing the science of learning says about helping girls learn?
The science of learning tells us that while individual students (or groups of students) may exhibit different abilities or preferences in their learning, their fundamental learning processes are more similar than they are different. Therefore, the overarching pedagogical and curriculum principles that derive from the science of learning are just as applicable to girls as they are to boys.
What research finding really surprised you?
So much of what the science of learning tells us makes a huge amount of sense. What perhaps is most surprising for me is how the science of learning research explains what I had intuitively picked up about the learning (and studying) process as a student at school and university. The way I used to revise for exams maps very closely onto what the research tells us about retrieval practice, blocked practice and interleaving and also generative learning, but I don’t ever remember being taught about how best to study.
Is there an easy way schools can use research in the classroom?
For the most part, I think the best way for teachers and schools to engage with research is through a research intermediary or broker, rather than trying to wade through numerous academic papers. Luckily, there’s been a proliferation of great research intermediaries in the education space over the past decade, who do a wonderful job of distilling the key points from the research, making it accessible and most importantly practical. However, we know that many teachers will need additional support to take what they’re reading and to apply it in their classroom practice in a way that promotes sustained improvement.
One change to teacher training that would make a big difference?
It’s tricky to narrow it down to just one thing. Overall, I think seeing a really close connection between what you’re learning in the “theory” part of a teacher training programme and what you’re observing in school is really important. Connected to this, it’s then also really important to have the opportunity to practise implementing specific practices or procedures and to receive effective feedback on how they went and have the chance to make improvements.