Pedagogy Bites

Why can knowing the right words make such a difference to learning? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I explore vocabulary through the work of Beck, McKeown & Kucan, Stahl & Fairbanks, Oakhill and others. From academic and subject-specific language to reading, classroom talk and multilingual learners, I consider how explicit vocabulary teaching can give learners greater access to knowle...

Does practice really make perfect or does it matter  how  we practise? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I explore deliberate practice through the work of Ericsson, Rosenshine, Hattie & Timperley, and others. From focused goals and appropriate challenge to feedback, repetition and teacher development, I unpack how purposeful practice can help both learners and educators improve over time. B...

What actually motivates learners and can teachers really make someone want to learn? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I explore motivation through the work of Deci & Ryan, Bandura, Dweck, and Eccles & Wigfield. From self-efficacy and belonging to autonomy, success and seeing value in learning, I consider what teachers can do to create the conditions where motivation is more likely to g...

Does thinking about your teaching automatically make you a reflective practitioner? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I explore what meaningful professional reflection looks like through the work of Schön, Dewey, Kolb, Brookfield and Timperley. From reflecting in the moment to using evidence, professional dialogue and research, I consider how reflection can move beyond simply asking “what went...

What makes a curriculum more than just a list of things to teach? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I explore how thoughtful curriculum design can build knowledge, connect ideas and support learning over time. Drawing on research from Bruner, Willingham, Sweller, Young and Shulman, I unpack sequencing, prior knowledge, powerful knowledge and the choices behind what (and whose) knowledge we teac...

What if behaviour isn’t simply something to manage, but something we can actively teach? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I explore how routines, relationships, expectations and self-regulation help create the conditions for learning. Drawing on research from Bennett, Deci & Ryan, Pianta and the EEF, I consider practical approaches to behaviour while questioning the idea that a quiet class...

We often describe metacognition as “thinking about thinking" but what does that actually mean in the classroom? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I unpack the research behind metacognition and self-regulated learning, drawing on Flavell, Zimmerman, Dunlosky, and the EEF. From planning and monitoring to evaluating learning and modelling expert thinking, I explore how teachers can help learn...

Is getting learners talking the same as getting them thinking? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , I explore the role of purposeful classroom talk in learning. Drawing on the work of Vygotsky, Alexander, Mercer & Littleton, and others, I look at dialogic teaching, exploratory talk, vocabulary, questioning, and how structured discussion can help learners articulate and develop their thinking....

How do we make the invisible thinking of an expert visible to learners? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore modelling and why showing learners how to think, not just what to do, can be so powerful. Drawing on research from Bandura, Rosenshine, Sweller, and cognitive apprenticeship, we unpack worked examples, thinking aloud, scaffolding, and the gradual move towards independence. Becaus...

Teaching is a profession built on supporting others...but who supports the teachers? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore teacher, trainee, and mentor wellbeing through the research of Day & Gu, Deci & Ryan, Ingersoll & Strong, and the Education Endowment Foundation. From workload and professional relationships to mentoring, resilience, and sustainable practice, we unpack wh...

Wellbeing isn’t a distraction from learning but is one of the conditions that makes learning possible. In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore what learner wellbeing really means across primary, secondary, further, and adult education. Drawing on the work of Seligman, Deci & Ryan, Pianta, and the EEF, we unpack the connections between belonging, motivation, relationships, self-regulati...

High expectations aren’t about demanding more - they’re about believing more is possible. In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore what research tells us about high expectations, drawing on the work of Rosenthal & Jacobson, Dweck, Vygotsky, Rosenshine, and Boaler. We unpack how ambitious teaching, adaptive support, and inclusive practice can help all learners succeed, while challenging...

Feedback isn’t about marking work - it’s about moving learning forward. In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore what effective feedback really looks like through the research of Black & Wiliam, Hattie & Timperley, and Shute. From verbal feedback and live modelling to common misconceptions and workload considerations, we unpack how feedback can help learners close the gap between wh...

Adaptive teaching isn’t about lowering expectations - it’s about removing barriers to learning. In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore what adaptive teaching really means through the research of Vygotsky, Sweller, Rosenshine, and Florian & Black-Hawkins. From scaffolding and responsive teaching to questioning and inclusion, we unpack how teachers can support diverse learners while mai...

Good questioning doesn’t just check learning - it shapes it. In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore questioning as one of the most powerful tools for assessment, thinking, and classroom dialogue. Drawing on research from Black & Wiliam, Rosenshine, Rowe, and Lemov, we unpack what effective questioning looks like in practice, from wait time and probing to cold calling and formative ass...

Can remembering actually improve learning? Absolutely. In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we explore Retrieval Practice through the research of Roediger & Karpicke (2006), Agarwal (2021), and Jones (2019), unpacking why bringing knowledge back to mind is one of the most powerful tools for long-term learning. From low-stakes quizzes to classroom questioning, we look at what retrieval really m...

Why do some teaching approaches consistently help learners succeed? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we unpack Rosenshine’s Principles of Instruction (2012) and explore what research tells us about effective teaching. From modelling and questioning to guided practice and checking for understanding, we look at how these principles translate into real classroom practice across education settings...

What actually happens in the brain when we learn and why do some lessons just feel overwhelming? In this episode of  Pedagogy Bites , we break down Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1988) into simple, practical insights for the classroom. From managing working memory to designing clearer explanations, we explore how small changes in teaching can make a big difference to learning. Short, sharp, and r...