The 5 Latest Trends in Education Research Every Teacher Should Know

Yet for those who finished their teacher training years ago, it is easy to fall behind on all the latest pedagogical theories bubbling up from all that research. To bring you up to speed on new thinking on education, we’ve outlined a few of the latest trends in educational research to arise in the last few years. Let’s see if they gel with your own approach to teaching.

1.       Self-Awareness

2.       Self-Management

3.       Social Awareness

4.       Relationship Skills

5.       Responsible Decision-Making

This is achieved in the classroom, in family units and at a whole-school level. SEL has been credited by some research with improving academic achievement and reducing rates of depression. Given the difficulties that so many children have faced over the last two years, teachers should give some thought to how they can incorporate strategies to build their pupils’ resilience.  

If this chimes with your own ideas about the most useful relationship between teachers and students, you can find out more about connectivism and its guiding principles here.  

If you’ve ever stood in front of a class of worn-out adolescents at 3pm on the last Tuesday of term, you’ll know that not all lessons are created equal. Over the course of an 8-hour schoolday, there will always be points at which pupils feel disengaged, unfocused or just too tired to take in information effectively.  

This is why contemporary educational researchers are thinking hard about how to create ‘moments’ of deep focus and psychological absorption, during which pupils are totally immersed in their learning. This theory of 'best learning moments' is influenced by ideas from psychology about mindstates of ‘flow’. 

Helping students engage with their learning can involve a smorgasbord of techniques old and new, from gamification to good, old-fashioned group work.

You can find out more about the thinking behind this new trend in education here.  

According to its proponents, Nanolearning is about harnessing that spirit of maximum compression and encouraging students to learn more efficiently.  

A 2015 study conducted by the Dresden Institute of Technology found that short content drove 22% higher information retention. However, few major pieces of high quality research yet exist on its use in school settings. As nanolearning gains prominence, we imagine it may turn out to be one of the more controversial of the educational trends we have highlighted here. 

Teaching Personnel helps thousands of qualified teachers, teaching assistants and support staff every year find work. But we’re also dedicated to helping them develop their careers, learn new skills and advance their understanding of education as a profession and an art.

That’s why we give all our registered candidates heavily subsidised access to top-quality, fully-accredited Continuing Professional Development training through our CPD Academy. These courses will expand your knowledge of best practice, while introducing you to new trends, concepts and ideas in education.

If already you’re signed up with Teaching Personnel, simply login to the candidate portal for a look over the current courses available. If not, all you have to do is register with us for free.