Key points:
- If we want teachers to teach differently, we have to model what that looks like
- PD for innovation: Reimagining solutions for engagement, burnout, and achievement gaps
- A new PLC model that builds collective efficacy and fights teacher burnout
- For more on the Science of Learning, visit eSN’s Educational Leadership hub
Every summer, I find myself in conversations with teachers and administrators trying to figure out why their current pedagogical practices are or aren’t working. So, once I came across Harnessing the Science of Learning by Nathaniel Swain, Ph.D., I haven’t been able to stop recommending it.
Swain, a senior lecturer in Learning Sciences at La Trobe University School of Education in Australia, has combined scientific research and real-world anecdotes to help every educator understand how the human brain learns. Readers have loved Harnessing the Science of Learning, giving the book a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars on Amazon.
The questions educators ask
Before I talk about the book itself, I want to touch on the questions I most often hear when I sit down with teachers and school leaders.
Teachers ask, “I have so many kids at different learning levels. How do I help them all grow?” They also want to know: “How do I help students feel confident while meeting state standards?” Administrators question, “How do I help my teachers be successful and reduce their load?”
They want practical guidance and techniques that feel sustainable. That’s exactly what Swain’s book provides.
Research-based answers for teaching and school improvement
In the book, Swain and a roster of thought leaders from the learning sciences and educational practice have translated research into accessible teaching and school improvement strategies. The result is a how-to guide that covers explicit instruction, cognitive load theory, retrieval practice, spaced repetition, knowledge-rich curriculum design, and whole-class responsive teaching.
While other books like Make It Stick address the Science of Learning from the learner’s perspective (making it useful for college students and adult self-directed learners), Swain orients the entire framework toward the educator.
The cognitive load problem
The book’s section on cognitive load theory resonated most deeply with me because its implications are so immediately actionable. I often find myself explaining to teachers that working memory is very small. When students are learning something new, visual clutter or anything else that competes for that limited working memory impedes learning.
Managing cognitive load is crucial for young learners, whose working memory capacity is developing, and for students with learning differences, who may already be managing extra cognitive demands. Swain’s recommendation of distraction-free environments may seem suspiciously simple, but I can vouch for its efficacy. In fact, we’ve incorporated the “no bells and whistles” principle as well as explicit, systematic instruction into our content to support the success of early readers.
“I do, we do, you do” for both learners and teachers
Another of the pedagogical frameworks Swain presents is the “I do, we do, you do” gradual release of responsibility:
- The teacher explicitly demonstrates a concept or solves a problem (I do)
- The teacher works on the concept or problem with the class, providing feedback and scaffolding (We do)
- The teacher observes students’ independent practice (You do)
That model maps directly onto what cognitive science tells us about skill acquisition. Learners first need clear demonstrations and guided practice before they can practice on their own. Otherwise, their independent practice may create confusion or, worse, confidence in incorrect approaches, which then must be unlearned.
Here’s examples of how lessons could follow this structure:
- An informational segment or video with an instructor or program characters teaching concepts
- Collective practice with positive reinforcement (e.g., encouragements such as “try again, no big deal,” and “great job”)
- End-of-lesson quiz for independent demonstration
This framework can be applied beyond the design of classroom lessons, including shaping how administrators think about professional development. If we’re honest, professional learning almost never follows the same “I do, we do, you do” logic that we ask teachers to use with students. Instead, we tend to deliver professional development through information transfer and then send teachers back to their classrooms to figure out implementation alone.
Putting principles into practice
I spend much of my professional life thinking about how to support teachers, not just in understanding new tools, but also in building the kind of instructional confidence that lets them adapt, solve problems, and grow. After spending time with Swain’s book, I’ve been reflecting on potential areas for improvement and the ways in which our professional development design currently reflects Science of Learning principles:
- Small, manageable learning increments
- Modeling before practice (I do, we do, you do)
- Connection to existing knowledge, not just layers of new content
If we want teachers to teach differently, we have to model what that looks like. That means professional development that is explicit and systematic, incorporates retrieval and reflection, and that doesn’t overwhelm the people it’s meant to serve.
The frameworks within the book can also shape how we think about the role of technology within a classroom. Swain neither dismisses nor celebrates educational technology. He asks the same questions of technology that he asks of any instructional tool or practice: Does it reduce cognitive load or add to it? Does it support explicit instruction, or substitute passive exposure? Does it extend or merely duplicate what a teacher can do?
Those questions don’t have universal answers. The answer depends on the specific tool, the specific learning objective, and whether the design of the tool reflects Science of Learning principles such as clarity, sequence, and appropriate challenge.
It would be easy for already-stretched educators to view the Science of Learning as just another new set of demands. But when implemented thoughtfully, these evidence-based practices reduce unnecessary complexity and help educators focus their energy on what moves the needle for student learning. It’s purposeful habit-building that leaves teachers feeling capable and in charge.
Harnessing the Science of Learning is my top summer reading recommendation for administrators, instructional coaches, and teachers who want to go into the new school year with a clearer, more confident understanding of which instructional approaches work, why, and what to do with that knowledge.
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