Research-based insights and practical advice about effective learning strategies.

In this new edition of the highly regarded Why Don't Students Like School?, cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham turns his research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning into workable teaching techniques. This book will help improve teaching practice by explaining how both teachers and students think and learn.

It reveals the importance of story, emotion, memory, context, and routine in building knowledge and creating lasting learning experiences. With a treasure trove of updated material, this edition draws its themes from the most frequently asked questions in Willingham's "Ask the Cognitive Scientist" column in the American Educator.

The book addresses key questions, such as how to teach students the skills they need when standardized testing just requires facts, why students remember everything on TV but forget everything said in class, and how to adjust teaching for different learning styles.

Readers will discover easy-to-understand, evidence-based principles with clear applications for the classroom, stay updated on the latest cognitive science research, and learn about new, teacher-tested pedagogical tools. Willingham's surprising findings, such as the idea that you cannot develop "thinking skills" without facts, are also discussed.

Understanding the brain's workings can help hone teaching skills. Why Students Don't Like School is a valuable resource for both veteran and novice teachers, teachers-in-training, and for the principals, administrators, and staff development professionals who work with them.