Learning Forward
Equity and excellence in teaching and learning.
As an experienced educator I recall a time when, faced with an instructional problem, I had two distinct options. The first was to seek out another teacher who had a solution that worked for their students. The second was to come up with an entirely new strategy based on little more than my experience and intuition about what might work. Although I eventually discovered strategies that worked for my students, neither of these approaches was grounded in research about how students learn. Today’s educators have myriad choices, thanks to online access to programs, materials, and other educators, but many of these solutions are still not grounded in evidence. We are like diners seeking a meal that is both delicious and healthy from a 15-page menu
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References
Barrett, C.A. & Prendergast, M. (2025). A qualitative examination of barriers to disseminating and accessing research in Irish schools. Irish Educational Studies, 1-24. learnfwd.org/2d891a
Deans for Impact. (2019). Learning by scientific design: Early insights from a network transforming teacher preparation. learnfwd.org/60e461
Education Endowment Foundation. (2021). Effective professional development: Guidance report. learnfwd.org/8ad191
Education Endowment Foundation. (2024). Using research evidence: A concise guide. learnfwd.org/2bc672
Hendrick, C. (2025). Defending the science of learning. The Learning Dispatch. learnfwd.org/dpn
Privitera, A.J., Ng, S.H.S., & Chen, S.H.A. (2023). Defining the science of learning: A scoping review. Trends in Neuroscience and Education, 32, 100206.
Watson, A.C. (2021). The Goldilocks map: A classroom teacher’s quest to evaluate ‘brain‑based’ teaching advice. John Catt Educational.
Kent Wetzel is a Teacher Specialist for Leadership & Organizational Development at Frederick County Public Schools and an adjunct professor at Hood College. A former middle school history teacher, he brings classroom experience to evidence-informed professional learning. He regularly presents at conferences, bridging research and practice through the science of learning.
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