Education research continues to remind us of the powerful impact
teachers have on children. This impact is overwhelmingly positive—the
studies we highlight here demonstrate specific ways in which teachers
can or already do help students feel a sense of belonging in school and
make gains in learning.Educational research and development
There are areas for improvement, though: Researchers have shown that
different rates of suspensions and expulsions for black and white boys
have more to do with adult perceptions of those kids than with their
behaviors.
New research also refined our understanding of many popular ideas, from
learning styles to growth mindsets and the marshmallow test.
But if there’s a common thread among most of these studies, it’s this:
To boost student learning, focusing on academics isn’t enough. We should
also think about how well students—and teachers—are supported.Small
changes in the classroom can yield surprising benefits. A study this
year found that greeting students at the classroom door had both
psychological and academic benefits: Engagement increased by 20
percentage points while disruptive behavior decreased by 9 percentage
points—effectively adding an extra hour of learning to the school day.
Another study found that heavily decorated walls can overwhelm students,
impairing their attention and memory. A mix of learning aids, inspiring
posters, and student work can make classrooms feel lively and warm.We
have made significant breakthroughs in understanding the science of
learning, largely through technologies that give a real-time look at
what happens in a child’s brain as they learn.
For example, researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI) to demonstrate that children who have the strongest reading
skills also have more interactivity between different regions of the
brain, suggesting that reading is a whole-brain activity and that growth
in reading skill may benefit from a multisensory approach like reading
aloud or being read to while looking at the words on the page.
Confirming that point, a separate group of researchers using magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) studied brain networks involved in processing
narratives in preschool-age children as adults read them illustrated
stories and stories with no pictures, and as they watched animated
videos of stories. Brain networks connected with language, visual
imagery, and learning were more engaged when adults read the children
illustrated stories; stories without pictures were too challenging, and
the animated videos were overwhelming. Score one for picture books.
