Education and Learning An Evidence-based Approach [Hardcover]

• Presents a wide range references for both seminal and contemporary research into learning and teaching
• Examines the evidence around topical issues such as the impact of Academies and Free Schools on student attainment and the strong international performance of other countries
• Looks at evidence-based differences in the attainment of students from different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, and explores the strong international performance of Finnish and East Asian students
• Provides accessible explanations of key studies that are supplemented with real-life case examples

Preface xi

1 Introduction: What Can We Learn from the History of Education? 1

2 Memory: How Do We Remember What We Learn? 18

3 Language: What Determines Our Acquisition of First and Second Languages? 50

4 Reading: How Do We Learn to Read and Why Is It Sometimes so Difficult? 81

5 Intelligence and Ability: How Does Our Understanding of These Affect How We Teach? 109

6 Sex Differences: Do They Matter in Education? 142

7 Metacognition: Can We Teach People How to Learn? 173

8 Academic Selection: Do We Need to Do It and Can We Make It Fair? 207

9 Creativity: What Is It, and How and Why Should We Nurture It? 239

10 Education Policy: How Evidence Based Is It? 276

11 Comparative Education: What Lessons Can We Learn from Other Countries? 309

12 Life-long Learning: How Can We Teach Old Dogs New Tricks? 348

13 Technology: How Is It Shaping a Modern Education and Is lós