The Science of Learning

Reviews / Votes

Reviews from Teachers Using the Book

"No resource is perfect for all contexts, but the well-thumbed and annotated copies of this book lying around our schools is evidence that, in our context, giving every teacher a copy has been beneficial."

George Casley, CATS College London

"I've used The Science of Learning extensively when leading on Teaching and Learning at West Coventry Academy. I produced readers of key studies for teachers and based a lot of the whole-school CPD sessions I designed around the accessible, easily digestible infographics and summaries"

Bertram Richter, Coventry Academy

"As a CPD lead in the school, I have been able to refer back to the book to create resources for CPD sessions and foster meaningful conversations and discussions between the teachers in the school."

Brad Williams, Co-op Academy, Walkden

Reviews from the 1st Edition:

'This is the book I have been waiting for. Ever since I first started working with teachers on preservice and inservice programs (US) and teacher training and inset courses (UK) in the 1980s, I wished there were a book that presented seminal studies in education and psychology in an accessible way, and drawing out implications for practice. This is it. In this wonderfully readable book, Bradley Busch and Edward Watson present 77 key studies from education and psychology, spanning over 60 years that every teacher should know about. Whether you are just beginning as a teacher, or a seasoned veteran, there will be something here that will be directly relevant to your practice, and, perhaps more importantly, will make you think. Highly recommended.'

Dylan Wiliam, Emeritus Professor of Educational Assessment at UCL, UK

'This book will prove irresistible to anyone keen to understand more about essential educational research findings in the most accessible manner possible. The authors identify the most influential and important findings of research relating to key issues in classrooms such as effective teaching, student behaviours, the impact of family and practice that develops skilled learners. Busch & Watson offer a concise, punchy and engaging resource for everyone seeking to help children and young people learn in the most effective way. An absolute must for every school.'

Professor Dame Alison Peacock, Chief Executive at The Chartered College of Teaching, UK

'The Science of Learning is a timely and precious gift to teachers. We know that research and evidence, used well, are vital complements to teachers' experience and professional judgement, but finding the most relevant research, understanding what it shows, and knowing how to implement these findings accurately can be really tricky. No wonder that despite the burgeoning interest in research among teachers there is still limited application of research in teachers' practice. This book provides an appealing and trustworthy solution: a range of fascinating studies - from large-scale and replicated to small and quirky - has been selected and their findings summarised with brilliant clarity. The discussions are brief but nuanced, and the sections on 'classroom implications' offer thoughtful suggestions about how this knowledge can inform teachers' practice. The explanations are simple but not simplistic - a remarkable achievement. Interpreting research accurately and applying it intelligently are not easy tasks. This book has made them far easier. Every teacher should be given a copy.'

Jonnie Noakes, Head of Teaching and Learning at Eton College, UK

'This is the educational research book I have been waiting for!

As a profession, it is important that we are evidence-informed so that our most precious resource - time - is well spent on activities that will have the most impact on learning and progress for our students. But we are caught in the catch-22 scenario of not having enough time to engage fully with the research studies themselves. Add to this the problems of academic paywalls, complex and frequently impenetrable presentation and language style, and the sheer volume of educational research available, and the opportunity cost becomes too high for a busy teacher to read the journal articles that might just help them be more effective.

Fortunately, Busch and Watson have the solution in this instantly-accessible summary of 77 vital research studies that every teacher should know. The vibrant, infographic-style presentation leaps off the page, and the structure of the book lends itself to browsing and dipping in-and-out rather than cover-to-cover reading. You can digest the key findings from an important study in just a few minutes - ideal for a busy teacher, whether in training, in the first few years of their career or wearing the badge of experience.

The studies themselves are well-chosen, covering the fields of memory, motivation and metacognition as well as behaviour, bias and parenting. The interleaved structure encourages the reader to see the connections between the studies too, building up a coherent overall picture of what might, actually, work in the classroom.

Busch and Watson have come up with that rarity: an educational must-read. I will be recommending it to every teacher I know!'

Chris Hildrew, Headteacher at Churchill Academy, UK

'Two key questions facing classroom teachers today are firstly, what research do I need to know? and secondly, how can I use it in my classroom? This book is a highly practicable guide to the often impenetrable field of education research and is a very useful compass for school leaders, classroom teachers and parents alike in seeking which evidence-based strategies to implement.'

Carl Hendrick, author of What Does This Look Like in the Classroom?, UK

'Like me, I trust you will enjoy reading, dipping into, thinking about, following up, questioning and asking for more - as you touch this book. This is my 'book of the decade'.'

John Hattie, Laureate Professor at Melbourne University, Australia

'The presentation of the topics in 77 succinct sections make this a really accessible, easy to use book. It's not daunting to just tackle one topic at a time, and in total the articles add up to really practical and useful knowledge, presented clearly.'

Sarah Brew, Parents in Touch

'If you're a teacher who wants to find out about many interesting findings from educational research, without having to spend precious free periods or leisure time looking for it, you should buy this book. And if you're a team leader, buying a copy for each member of your team would not be a bad investment - especially if you used selected studies as the basis for team discussions.'

Terry Freedman, Schools Week

'This is a really excellent resource for the busy teacher, education student or study support tutor with plenty of food for thought and easy to understand classroom or teaching suggestions.'

Jan Beechey MCILIP, Dyslexia Review