On the way out of the Educational Zeitgeist

Progressively Incorrect, Season 2, Episode 20, January 30, 2023

In this episode of Progressively Incorrect, I chat with Dr. Nathaniel Swain about the work he is doing with teachers and middle leaders to ensure that all students receive instruction that is informed by the science of learning.

This is one of those episodes that is jammed packed full of insights and interesting tidbits, including what Dr. Swain describes as the biological imperative we have as humans to learn from others. Instead of falling for the romance that is having students discover or teach themselves the bulk of the material, Dr. Swain talks about the need for teachers to, well, teach the material, and to teach it explicitly and efficiently using principles and findings from cognitive science. As someone who is thoroughly fascinated with the innovations coming out of international education systems, you will also hear me pick Dr. Swain’s brain about the progress being made in Australia to implement evidence-informed instruction and explicit teaching.