Why Don't Students Like School?

Key Takeaways

1. Memory is the residue of thought: Students remember what they think about

Whatever you think about, that's what you remember.

Attention drives memory. Students will remember what captures their attention and engages their thoughts, not necessarily what teachers intend them to learn. This principle has important implications for lesson planning and teaching strategies.

• Factors influencing memory:
  • Emotional impact
  • Repetition
  • Personal relevance
  • Depth of processing

Teachers should design lessons that ensure students think about the intended content's meaning. For example, when teaching about the Underground Railroad, having students bake biscuits may seem engaging, but they'll likely remember more about baking than about history. Instead, encourage students to consider the challenges faced by runaway slaves, their motivations, and the risks taken by those who helped them.

2. Factual knowledge must precede skill development in cognitive tasks

Thinking well requires knowing facts, and that's true not simply because you need something to think about.

Background knowledge is crucial. Critical thinking skills, problem-solving abilities, and reading comprehension all depend on a foundation of factual knowledge. Without this base, students struggle to understand new concepts or transfer knowledge to new situations.

Key reasons factual knowledge is important:

1. It aids reading comprehension
2. It allows for chunking of information in working memory
3. It facilitates learning of new information
4. It enables critical thinking and problem-solving

Teachers should ensure students acquire essential background knowledge alongside developing thinking skills. This doesn't mean rote memorization, but rather teaching facts in meaningful contexts and showing how they connect to broader concepts and skills.

3. Understanding abstract ideas requires concrete examples and deep structure

We understand new things in the context of things we already know, and most of what we know is concrete.

Abstractions need grounding. Students often struggle with abstract concepts because they lack concrete examples to anchor their understanding. Teachers should provide multiple, varied examples of abstract ideas and help students recognize the underlying deep structure.

Strategies for teaching abstract concepts:

• Use analogies and metaphors
• Provide diverse, concrete examples
• Encourage comparison between examples
• Highlight deep structure and patterns
• Gradually increase abstraction

For instance, when teaching the concept of democracy, start with familiar examples like classroom voting, then progress to local government, national elections, and finally to complex issues of representation and power balance in democratic systems.

4. Practice is essential for mastery and transfer of knowledge

It is virtually impossible to become proficient at a mental task without extended practice.

Deliberate practice drives improvement. Mere repetition is not enough; practice must be focused, challenging, and aimed at improving specific aspects of performance. This principle applies to all cognitive skills, from basic arithmetic to complex problem-solving.

Benefits of effective practice:

1. Automaticity of basic skills
2. Improved long-term retention
3. Enhanced transfer to new situations
4. Increased cognitive capacity for higher-level thinking

Teachers should design practice activities that are:

• Focused on specific skills or concepts
• Progressively challenging
• Spaced out over time
• Accompanied by immediate feedback

For example, in mathematics, students should practice basic calculations until they become automatic, freeing up mental resources for more complex problem-solving.

5. Expert thinking differs fundamentally from novice thinking

Cognition early in training is fundamentally different from cognition late in training.

Expertise changes cognitive processes. Experts don't just know more; they organize and access knowledge differently. They see deep structures and patterns where novices see surface features. This insight has important implications for teaching and curriculum design.

Characteristics of expert thinking:

• Pattern recognition
• Chunking of information
• Automated basic processes
• Focus on deep structure
• Flexible problem-solving strategies

Teachers should be aware that their own expert knowledge may make it difficult to understand novice students' perspectives. They should explicitly teach strategies for seeing deep structure and provide scaffolding to help students develop expert-like thinking over time.

6. Students' beliefs about intelligence affect their learning outcomes

Children do differ in intelligence, but intelligence can be changed through sustained hard work.

Mindset matters. Students who believe intelligence is fixed tend to avoid challenges and give up easily, while those who believe it can be developed through effort are more resilient and achieve better outcomes. Teachers play a crucial role in shaping these beliefs.

Strategies to promote a growth mindset:

• Praise effort and strategies, not innate ability
• Teach about brain plasticity and learning
• Normalize struggle and mistakes as part of learning
• Provide challenging tasks with support
• Model a growth mindset in your own learning

For example, instead of saying "You're so smart!" when a student succeeds, say "Your hard work really paid off. Can you tell me about the strategies you used?"

7. Teaching, like any complex cognitive skill, must be practiced to improve

Teaching, like any complex cognitive skill, must be practiced to be improved.

Continuous improvement requires deliberate practice. Just as students need practice to improve, teachers must actively work on developing their skills. This involves seeking feedback, reflecting on performance, and deliberately working on specific aspects of teaching.

Elements of effective teacher practice:

1. Video recording and self-analysis of lessons
2. Peer observation and feedback
3. Focused goal-setting for improvement
4. Experimentation with new techniques
5. Reflective journaling

Teachers can start small by keeping a teaching diary, joining a discussion group with colleagues, or regularly observing students in non-classroom settings. The key is to consistently engage in reflective practice and seek opportunities for growth.

Last updated: January 23, 2025

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