2017 Education Research Highlights
December 14, 2017
By: Youki Terada
Source: Edutopia
Every year, we hope, researchers gain new insights into what works in the classroom—and what doesn’t. In 2017, a group of scientists made the case for why social and emotional learning is essential in schools. We learned that negative stereotypes can discourage students of color from going to college, and that a reflective writing exercise can help. We also learned that it’s OK for second graders to use their fingers to count, and that text messages sent to parents boost family engagement and student attendance.
Practice Testing, Planning Top List of Effective Studying Strategies
Students often overestimate how prepared they are for a test, which can lead to disaster. New research pinpoints two highly effective strategies. In a major review—encompassing 118 previous studies—taking low-stakes practice tests was identified as one of the most effective ways to make concepts stick. (In addition to practice tests, we’ve discussed several other strategies to boost student memory.) And a recent study highlighted the benefits of asking students to plan out the steps they’ll need to take to pass an upcoming test. This encouraged them to study effectively, resulting in higher grades for the whole course—one-third of a letter grade higher, on average, than their peers…