Research Map

Starting concepts

These core concepts provide the basis for the research:

Cognitive Load Theory - The central theoretical framework explaining how working memory limitations constrain learning
Memory - The two-component architecture (working and long-term memory) that underlies all learning
Learning - Defined as change in long-term memory, distinct from performance
Schema - How knowledge organises into interconnected networks in long-term memory
Prior Knowledge - The foundation upon which new learning builds

Notes by topic

Cognitive science foundations

Theoretical basis for instructional design:

Cognitive Load Theory - Working memory constraints and their implications
Cognitive Load - Types of load (intrinsic, extraneous, germane)
Memory - Working and long-term memory systems
Learning - Learning vs. performance distinction
Schema - Knowledge organisation in long-term memory
Prior Knowledge - How existing knowledge enables new learning
Chunking - Grouping information to reduce cognitive load
Element Interactivity - How elements interact to create difficulty
Biologically Primary & Secondary Knowledge - Evolutionary vs. cultural knowledge

Instructional methods

Evidence-based approaches to teaching:

Explicit Teaching - Highly structured, teacher-directed instruction (central methodology)
Worked Examples - Step-by-step demonstrations of problem solutions
Practice - Effective practice design principles
Scaffolding - Graduated support for complex tasks
I Do - Teacher modelling phase
We Do - Guided practice phase
Explicit Teaching Learning Episode - Complete lesson structure
Principles of Effective Teaching - Rosenshine’s principles and NSW CESE framework
Teach Methods that Last - Transferable problem-solving strategies

Cognitive effects and phenomena

Specific research findings that inform instruction:

Memory and practice effects:

Spacing Effect - Learning strengthens with distributed practice
Interleaving Effect - Mixed practice improves discrimination
Retrieval Practice - Testing effect and spaced repetition
Fluency - Automaticity and cognitive load reduction
Fluency Practice - Building automaticity through practice

Instructional design effects:

Worked-Example Effect - Demonstrations reduce cognitive load for novices
Expertise Reversal Effect - Worked examples less effective for experts
Self-Explanation Effect - Explaining reasoning enhances learning
Goal-Free Effect - Removing specific goals aids schema acquisition
Completion Problem Effect - Partially completed problems bridge worked examples and independent practice

Presentation effects:

Split-Attention Effect - Integrating related information sources
Redundancy Effect - Eliminating unnecessary information
Modality Effect - Using audio and visual channels
Transient Information Effect - Permanence aids learning

Assessment and feedback

Monitoring and responding to student understanding:

Check for Understanding - Systematic monitoring of student comprehension
Formative Assessment - Assessment for learning
Diagnostic Questions - Revealing specific misconceptions
Question Level Analysis - Analysing question difficulty and discrimination
Exit Ticket - End-of-lesson assessment
Mini-Whiteboards - Individual whiteboards for whole-class response
Misconceptions - Common errors and their correction
Feedback - Effective feedback principles

Classroom management and behaviour

Creating conditions that enable learning:

Classroom Management - Comprehensive behaviour management framework
Script Language of Behaviour - Precise behaviour language
Routines - Predictable classroom procedures
Rules - Clear behavioural expectations
Norms - Group standards for behaviour and thinking
Consequences - Responses to rule violations
Seating Plan - Strategic seating arrangements
First lesson - Establishing expectations from the start
Relationships and Regulation - Emotional safety and self-regulation
Culture of Error - Normalising mistakes as learning opportunities
Boundaries - Professional boundaries in teaching

Classroom techniques

Specific tactical implementations:

Questioning and participation:

Cold-Call - Calling on students without raised hands
Wait Time - Pausing after questions
Turn and Talk - Paired discussion technique
Call and Response - Whole-class choral response
Warm Call - Previewing cold-call questions
No Opt-Out - Ensuring all students answer
Participation - Maximising student engagement
High-Value Task Structures - Activities worth classroom time

Listening and communication:

Check for Listening - Verifying attention
Active Listening - Student listening skills
Communication - Effective teacher-student communication
Attention - Managing student attention

Problem design:

Minimally Different Questions - Isolating conceptual variation
Problem-Solving - Teaching problem-solving approaches

Pedagogical philosophies and curriculum approaches

Competing educational philosophies and their critiques:

Knowledge-Based Curriculum - Systematic knowledge transmission
On the Shoulders of Giants - Building on accumulated human knowledge
Explicit Teaching - Direct instruction philosophy
Constructivism - Discovery learning and its limitations
Activity-Based Curriculum - Learning through activities
Resource-Based Curriculum - Independent resource exploration
Education as Natural Development - Developmental philosophy
Education as Social Reformation - Education for social change
Non-Explicit Teaching - Indirect instructional approaches
Purpose of School-Based Education - Competing visions of schooling
21st Century Skills - Critique of generic skills focus
Teaching Is Not a Profession - Professional status debate

Subject-specific applications

Domain-specific pedagogies and debates:

Mathematics:

Maths Wars - Procedural vs. conceptual debate
Procedural Alongside Conceptual - Integrating both dimensions
Concrete Pictorial Abstract - CPA approach in mathematics
Part-Whole Approach - Number sense pedagogy
Multiplication Facts - Fluency in basic facts
Gender Gap in Maths - Achievement differences
Maths Anxiety - Emotional barriers to mathematics

Literacy:

Reading Wars - Phonics vs. whole language

General:

Surface and Deep Structure - Transfer and problem types
Use Booklets - Instructional materials design

Student development and individual differences

How students develop and what affects their learning:

Psychological foundations:

Attachment - Emotional security and relationships
Emotions - Emotional factors in learning
Motivation - Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation
Engagement - Active participation in learning
Validation - Recognising student experiences

Cognitive development:

Experts and Novices Think Differently - Expertise development
Curse of Knowledge - Expert blind spots
Dunning-Kruger Effect - Metacognitive awareness
Valley of Latent Potential - Learning progress over time

Individual needs:

Learning Disabilities - Supporting diverse learners
Differentiation - Adapting to student differences
Low-Floor High-Ceiling - Accessible and challenging tasks
Ability Grouping - Grouping practices
Mastery Approach to Learning - Ensuring all students learn
Responsive Teaching - Adapting to student needs

Common errors:

Mistakes - Role of errors in learning
Misconceptions - Systematic misunderstandings

Historical figures and theoretical traditions

Key thinkers and their contributions:

Jean Piaget - Developmental stages and constructivism
Lev Vygotsky - Zone of proximal development
Jean-Jacques Rousseau - Natural education philosophy
Herbert Spencer - Education and evolution

Research literacy and critical thinking

Understanding research quality and common errors:

What Research Can You Trust - Evaluating educational research
Quality Criteria - Research standards
Replication Crisis - Reproducibility challenges
Correlation Does Not Equal Causation - Causal inference errors
Logical Fallacies - Reasoning errors
Neuromyths - Misconceptions about the brain
Behaviour Myths - Misconceptions about behaviour management

Planning and learning conditions

Additional areas of focus:

Centralised Lesson Planning - Collaborative planning structures
Atomisation - Breaking content into small units
Standardisation - Consistency in practice
Temperature - Physical environment effects
Carbon Dioxide - Air quality and cognition
Sleep - Sleep and learning
Assertiveness - Professional assertiveness
Introduction - Collection introduction

Emotional wellbeing and relationships

Emotional skills, relationship patterns and wellbeing support:

Emotional understanding and regulation:

Emotions - Basic emotional vocabulary and concepts
Emotional Intelligence - Book frameworks, scientific models and training evidence
Self-Awareness - Recognising personal emotions and patterns
Emotional Regulation - Managing emotional responses
Validation - Acknowledgement without assuming agreement

Relationships and communication:

Active Listening - Listening skills for understanding others
Communication - Effective interpersonal communication
Attachment - Emotional security and relationship patterns
Emotional Maturity - Mature responses in adult relationships
Boundaries - Setting and maintaining personal limits
Assertiveness - Expressing needs and expectations clearly

Family experiences and personal wellbeing:

Childhood Emotional Neglect - Webb’s reflective framework for unmet emotional needs
Emotionally Immature Parents - Gibson’s framework for family roles and coping styles
Self-Compassion - Responding to shame and self-criticism
Self-Care - Preferences, enjoyment, help and daily habits
Sleep - Sleep practices and supporting evidence

Classroom support and evidence:

Supporting Students Experiencing Emotional Neglect - Classroom support, wellbeing planning and NSW reporting responsibilities
Relationships and Regulation - Emotional safety and self-regulation in teaching
What Research Can You Trust - Distinguishing frameworks, empirical findings and professional guidance

Conceptual hierarchy

The research contains dependencies between concepts that affect the order in which they are best understood:

Memory and learning

These concepts explain the cognitive architecture that constrains all learning:

Memory - Two-component memory system
Cognitive Load Theory - Working memory limitations
Learning - Change in long-term memory
Schema - Knowledge organisation

Knowledge and task demands

These principles show how teaching responds to cognitive constraints:

Prior Knowledge - Learning builds on existing schemas
Experts and Novices Think Differently - Experience changes cognition
Element Interactivity - Task difficulty and cognitive load

Guidance and practice

Evidence-based teaching approaches that apply these principles:

Explicit Teaching - Systematic direct instruction
Worked Examples - Demonstrating solution processes
Practice - Consolidating knowledge
Scaffolding - Supporting complex learning

Classroom applications

Specific classroom techniques that deploy these methods:

Check for Understanding - Monitoring learning
Cold-Call, Mini-Whiteboards - Assessment tools
Retrieval Practice - Strengthening memory
Classroom Management - Creating learning conditions

Adapting instruction

Deeper understanding that refines practice:

Expertise Reversal Effect - Adapting to learner expertise
Responsive Teaching - Adjusting to student needs
Culture of Error - Creating safe learning environments

Reading paths

Different entry points depending on focus:

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