Teacher Proof: Why research in education doesnÆt always mean what it claims, and what you can do about it

'Tom Bennett is the voice of the modern teacher.' Stephen Drew, Senior Vice-Principal, Passmores Academy, UK, featured school on Channel 4's Educating Essex This is a book about bad educational research; what it is, where it came from, and more importantly, how it is routinely misused in everyday media to mislead educators. Education is awash with theories about how pupils best learn and teachers best teach; most often, these claims are propped up with the inevitable research that 'proves' the case in point. But what can teachers do to find the proof within the pudding, and how can this actually help them on wet Wednesday afternoon? In Tom Bennett's controversial and entertaining new book, he calls for teachers to restore some power to those who consume information, taking it away from those who try and use education science to mean anything they want it to. Drawing from recent and popular education theories and strategies, Tom shows how pervasive this practise is, and how much of what we think we know in schools hasn't been 'proven' in any meaningful sense at all. He uses this knowledge to inspire teachers to decide for themselves what good and bad education really is, empowering them as professionals and raising their confidence in the classroom and the staffroom alike. Tom will enlighten readers on issues such as: the most common ideas in modern education and where these ideas were born. the crisis in research right now how research is commissioned and used by the people who make policy in the UK and beyond. the provenance of education research: who instigates it, who writes it, and how to spot when a claim is based on evidence and when it isn't. The different way that data can be analysed. What happens to the research conclusions once they escape the laboratory. With practical suggestions for the classroom included throughout, this book will be an ally to every teacher who's been handed an instruction on a platter and been told, 'the research proves it.'