Teaching isn’t just about knowing your subject; it’s also about knowing how to bring it to life. Think of subject knowledge as your “materials” and teaching know-how as your “tools”. That’s where the Science of Learning comes in. By separating myths from evidence, you can sharpen your practice and help students learn more effectively.
When paired with classroom experience, insights from the Science of Learning can greatly improve both teaching and learning outcomes.
Read on to find out:
The Science of Learning in action: what research tells us
Essentially, the goal of the Science of Learning is to understand how the brain takes in and processes the information we are taught. By understanding the common principles, you can help your students become more efficient learners.
A recent study put this into practice by investigating whether teaching staff at a US university could distinguish between effective and ineffective learning practices. 107 staff responded to items about the effectiveness of different strategies, five of which have strong research support and five of which are widely believed but have been shown to be myths.
They also asked how confident staff were in their knowledge. This mattered because if someone believes they’re using effective methods, but are relying on myths, they have little motivation to change.
While the research was conducted with university staff, the same patterns often appear in schools, especially when educators who train and mentor early-career teachers hold misconceptions. These findings therefore are a useful reminder for teachers at every level.
Here is what they found…
5 teaching neuromyths to avoid
Believing in common neuromyths has a two-fold impact; educators favour ineffective methods with the belief that they are beneficial, whilst also overlooking evidence-informed, effective teaching strategies.
In the study, researchers tested five common learning myths:
- Multitasking
- Catering to learning styles
- Learning through technology
- Pure discovery learning
- Encouraging extrinsic motivation.
The educators were asked to evaluate whether each was an effective strategy or not.
Only 40.6% correctly recognised multitasking as ineffective, 33% learning styles, 43.8% learning through technology, and 33% pure discovery learning. Extrinsic motivation was the best recognised, with 60.2% correctly identifying it as inefficient.
1. Multitasking
The efficiency of multitasking is a common misconception, with less than half of all educators recognising it as ineffective. In reality, students aren’t doing tasks simultaneously; they are rapidly switching between them. This puts extra strain on working memory and increases cognitive load.
2. Learning styles
The idea that ‘learning styles’ exist is another widespread myth. Students may have learning preferences (visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and read/write); however, they may not know what is most beneficial for them. Catering to learning styles does not enhance learning and impacts teaching efficiency and the quality of instruction.
3. Digital natives
‘Digital natives’ is the idea that recent generations (‘Millennials’ and ‘Gen Z’) have been familiarised with technology from birth and therefore may learn best when technology is integrated into instruction.
This idea is not grounded in any evidence. While your students might know how to use their phone to scroll on TikTok or message their friends, they still need your guidance to use technology to support their learning.
4. Pure discovery learning
Despite the popularity of discovery learning, decades of research have revealed that minimally guided instruction is ineffective at enhancing student performance.
If students are tasked with navigating unfamiliar territory by themselves, this puts a strain on committing this new information to long-term memory. Cognitive Load Theory suggests that clear instructions would free up resources for remembering and learning.
5. Extrinsic motivation
Motivation in the classroom can stem from many factors, such as rewards, curiosity, approval from teachers or receiving a good grade. In the attempt to motivate students, you might look to extrinsic strategies, such as rewards to promote learning.
However, this can negatively impact learning if your students’ learning is dependent on rewards. Fostering intrinsic motivation by developing your students’ academic goals promotes healthier motivational behaviours.
5 evidence-informed strategies to use
While experience plays a vital role in shaping teaching practice, understanding the Science of Learning helps teachers move past common neuromyths and use strategies proven to boost learning.
So, what evidence-informed strategies should you be using, according to the Science of Learning, to help your students learn more effectively?
The study surveyed knowledge on five well-established approaches:
- Retrieval Practice
- Dual Coding
- Summarisation
- Spacing
- Direct instruction
Educators were generally better at identifying effective strategies than debunking myths. The vast majority recognised direct instruction (97.2%) and practice testing (94.4%) as beneficial, while Spacing (85.7%) was also well identified. Summarisation (66.7%) and Dual Coding (65.4%) were the least well-recognised strategies.
1. Retrieval Practice and the Testing Effect
Retrieval Practice is one of the most powerful learning strategies out there. It is the process of using existing knowledge to generate an answer. It has proven benefits for reinforcing students’ understanding as well as strengthening their ability to retrieve knowledge in other contexts.
2. Dual Coding
By presenting both words and images to your students when teaching new information, Dual Coding makes learning material both interactive and effective. Simultaneously providing two different pathways to understand information makes for a powerful learning experience.
However, Dual Coding helps students learn when visuals and verbal information complement each other. But if both channels simply repeat the same content, the Redundancy Effect can overload working memory and reduce learning. You could avoid this by narrating a diagram rather than reading a block of text displayed on your slides, keeping labels on visuals concise, and being selective with captions or handouts.
3. Summarisation
Summarisation requires students to identify the main ideas, make connections and reframe information in their own words, all of which strengthen understanding and memory.
Summarisation is particularly effective after reading a passage or completing a lesson, as it encourages active processing rather than passive review. A practical way to build this habit is through the Cornell Note Taking Method, which dedicates a section of the page for students to summarise the lesson’s key points.
4. Direct Instruction
Direct instruction involves providing clear and specific instructions to students on how to complete a task. When introducing new concepts to learners, it is important to reduce cognitive overload. Providing clear instructions frees up cognitive resources to understand and retain these new ideas.
Direct instruction was the best identified effective learning strategy, which is a surprise, as two-thirds of educators failed to identify pure discovery learning (the direct opposite) as ineffective.
5. Spacing
The Spacing Effect is simple: spacing out learning over time has been repeatedly shown to strengthen memory. It allows intervals for forgetting, but then for that information to be relearnt. This provides the opportunity for the information to be committed to long-term memory.
Does teaching experience matter?
Somewhat surprisingly, all educators performed similarly on recognising effective practices. However, the study found that more experienced professors were less likely to endorse myths. Confidence, on the other hand, didn’t always match knowledge; those most confident were sometimes least accurate, highlighting why ongoing learning matters at every stage of a career.
Final thoughts
The study shows that while educators can often recognise effective practices, they may still hold common neuromyths. Understanding where myths lurk gives you an edge: by combining evidence-based strategies with your classroom expertise, you can design lessons that not only cover content but also help students truly retain and apply it.
