Psychology in the Classroom

Every time you teach your students something you literally change their brain.  I think this is the most amazing concept - every lesson, each learning experience students have causes brain cells to make new and stronger connections.  Understanding how our brains develop over time and how individual's differ could in time help us to created more effective curricula and interventions to support ever...

In this interview Lucy discusses a wide range of research and theories surrounding working memory and the implications for the classroom, especially for maths.  Working memory is so important in helping control what we are thinking about, what we are paying attention to and what we are ignoring, and yet for some this can go awry.  Understanding Working Memory can help teachers better support young...

In this bonus episode Simona Skripkauskaite talks to me about the results coming from the CoSpace Study.  In September Professor Cathy Creswell shared the findings from the first school closure and this episode updates the findings and considers what schools might need to have in place or be looking out for as pupils return to school. You can hear the original episode with Prof. Creswell here and...

Have you ever heard a song on the radio and it transports you back to different time?  Or smelt Cold Tar soap and remembered your grandparents?  Songs and smells amongst other things can act as cues to recall.  Knowing how to use cues to help us remember can be helpful when revising.  This episode looks that theory behind cues and how we can use this to help us learn more effectively and hopefully...

This week I am talking to Matt Slocombe from the Centre for Educational Neuroscience. His research investigates the cognitive and developmental processes involved in reasoning and learning by analogy and the implications of this research for educational practice. This fascinating discussion unpicks how to make learning by analogy effective in the Classroom as well as the pitfalls.  It is clear tha...

Education for all was created in a very different era and many argue that it is now not fit for purpose.  Does education prepare us for the collaborative, agile and rapidly changing work place?  Psychology informs the workplace as much as it informs education, but what lessons can education learn from the tech landscape - do we teach youngsters to take risks, learn through experimentation and to b...

There are lots of tricks and tips that we can use to help remember things for exams.  But ultimately understanding material makes learning easier.  In this podcast I explore a few of the theories that underpin our understanding of long term memory and how students and teachers can use this understanding to help prepare for exams. If you want to download the video on memory you can do so here . Cra...

Over recent years we have learned so much about adolescent brain development and how changes in the brain affect learning.  In this wide ranging interview we discuss how emotion, social interactions and learning are intertwined, the distraction of phones, how executive functions (working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility) are different in teenagers an adults and most importantly...

Cognitive psychology is probably the most important branch of psychology for teachers in helping to understand memory, learning and education.  In this week's podcast I consider 3 questions about the cognitive approach to psychology to help teachers: What is cognitive psychology (and also cognitive neuroscience)? How do we study cognitive psychology? How can cognitive psychology help in the classr...

Dr. Rebecca Merkley is Assistant Professor in Cognitive Science at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada interested in how people learn. She studies how young children learn early maths skills and also investigates whether knowing how people learn could help teachers support all learners. This interview is a fascinating discussion ranging from Executive function to special educational needs to gen...

There are many misconceptions about memory, that it is like a video camera accurately recording our lives.  The differences between short- and long-term memory.  In this short podcast I look at the underpinning theories of short-term and long-term memory and how teachers can utilise this to help students prepare for exams, getting information to stick in their long-term memory.   Want to find out...

Metacognition, cognition, revision strategies...these are the bread and butter of teaching and yet many misconceptions are still out there.  Jonathan is a teacher, author and research with a particular focus on memory and metacognition.  This discussion is the perfect start to a season of podcasts on Learning to learn - Cognitive psychology in education. You can find out more about Jonathan and li...

This term I will be focusing on the psychology of learning including memory, metacognition, intelligence, and much more.  I have some excellent guests lined up and cannot wait to share their insights with you.  I am excited to be partnering with British Psychological Society who also provide resources for teachers which can be found here . Please do visit my website if you want more information ab...

This live Q&A panel was recorded on 2nd December and was hosted by Opogo.com. I was joined by Delyth Lynch from Wellington College, Rob Vaughan from Launchpad Alternative Provision and Zelia Munnik and Andrea Davies from Chertsey High School all of whom are part of the School Mental Health Award .  It is a lively discussion covering engaging parents, working with external agencies and the role of...

What do colonoscopies have in common with optimism?  Understanding what parts of an event we remember can help us ensure that any experience can be made more positive, even school.  Psychology around mental health often focuses on the negatives but there are ways that we can work with everyone everyday to help them reframe the way the see the world from 'glass half empty' to 'glass half full'.  Te...

With smartphones and 24/7 connection to the internet teenagers are growing up in a different world to their parents.  Many people are quick to blame screens and social media for the poor mental health in young people but how accurate is this accusation?  This podcast considers what the research says and how certain we can be about the effects of screens on teens.   If you want to find out more you...

As a teenager I knew plenty of girls at school with eating disorders.  As a new teacher I was really worried about how to support any young person who might disclose they had an eating disorder.  In this podcast I ask Dr Paul Jenkins from Reading University, all the questions I wish I had been able to ask 20 years ago about different types of eating disorders, signs, supporting suffers and the mis...

By teaching effective study skills we give students coping strategies to deal with the stress and pressure of exams.  Although many schools teach these students often need support to implement and maintain behavioural change around study.  Once positive routines are established students feel more in control and have more resilience to cope with the challenges of school work and exams. This podcast...

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a much misunderstood condition affecting around 2% of young people.  Dr Georgina Krebs, MRC Clinical Research Training Fellow at King's College London, talks about her work as a clinical psychologist specialising in OCD and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) in this episode.  We cover what defines OCD, the signs and symptoms, and how teachers can best support you...

Teacher recruitment and retention is often linked to wellbeing.  In this episode I talk to Jack Worth, Lead Economist at the National Foundation for Educational Research about his work into recruitment and retention.  We discuss the key factors that cause teachers to leave the profession, the impact of Covid-19 on the teaching workforce and what schools can do to encourage teachers to stay in the...

Teachers are often seen as being at the frontline of those who can identify and support young people who are struggling with their mental health.  It is daunting, but it shouldn't be.  Schools have clear referral systems that you can access but what should you be looking out for?  This short podcast gives you simple guide to the signs of low mood, depression and anxiety and what to do if you are c...

Have you ever wanted to share a problem and the person you are talking to just keeps jumping with their solutions or tells you about a similar incident in their life and you just don't feel like they 'get it'.  Often our responses when someone opens up to us are an attempt to show empathy but often make the person feel they haven't really been heard. Listening is a real skill and needs practice. ...

Around 30 percent of 15 year olds report experiencing bullying.  In this interview Professor Lucy Bowes from Oxford University, talks about the long term impacts this can have on mental health, who is at risk of being a bully and being a victim and why we should understand the whole picture.  It really is everybody's problem and schools need to address if from a whole school stand point. If you wa...

As teachers we often underestimate how much of our behaviour our students pick up on and model.  In this podcast I consider why teachers are such important role models and 5 key things they need to role model to improve mental health and wellbeing: Values Strengths Positive reflections Failure Asking for help

Classroom atmosphere is so important in improving wellbeing and making the classroom a safe place to learn is paramount.  But how can teachers do this? In this podcast we look at 4 variables that can help to create a safe classroom: Relationships Belonging Fairness Learning process There are lots of ideas of how you can build relationships, create a sense of belonging, be fair and focus on the lea...