What comes first, motivation or performance? Is it better to start with a question or an instruction?
This website is designed to support learning, drawing from scientific insights and practical examples. Our goal is to provide evidence-informed assistance in learning and teaching. But what does research say works? The answer is not straightforward:
Firstly, good research is complex, human-driven, and scarce. It’s not advisable to apply research findings directly to practice without careful consideration. Only when multiple researchers observe the same effect, and that effect is significant in terms of its impact, does it become worthwhile to experiment with it in a lesson or training.
Secondly, there is a lot of debate within the scientific community. Many researchers use cognitive abilities and grades as outcome measures, while others consider this too narrow and advocate for a broader approach, including factors like motivation and personal development.
There is no “best way” to design education or a learning process. Whether it’s direct instruction, project-based learning, or inquiry-based learning, all approaches can be effective and come with their own advantages and disadvantages.
Everything works somewhere, and nothing works everywhere.
The information you use from this website and how you use it will depend on your perspective and context. Our goal is to support you in any case.
In compiling the information on this website, we have considered the following principles:
• Wherever the term student is used, it can be replaced with pupil or participant. Wherever teacher is used, it can be replaced with educator or trainer.
• One study does not constitute science. Only well-substantiated insights and tips are included in our knowledge base.
• We do not adhere to a single perspective: nuance is important. We offer a broad knowledge base with concise insights, tips, and resources for further exploration.
• The focus is on scientific insights, not on educational buzzwords (like formative assessment or ownership).
• The tips are general: something may not work for you, but research shows that it generally works well.
• The tips can sometimes be complex: don’t expect that using a tip will immediately improve your (or someone else’s) learning. Combine tips and practice with them!
Happy reading! 😊