Empowering Educators: The Role of Learning Theories, Critical Thinking, and Visual Aids in Teacher Training

In today's evolving educational landscape, understanding diverse learning theories and integrating critical thinking into teacher training is more essential than ever. These were key topics in this Teachers Talk Radio podcast episode, hosted by Hannah Wilson, featuring Sage author Dr Andy Goldhawk. Andy shared insights from The Super Quick Guide to Learning Theories and Approaches, a highly visual introduction to key concepts, all summarized, explained and critiqued for trainee and qualified teachers within one page.

As the new term begins, we’ve put together four takeaways from the episode to help educators reflect on their teaching, highlighting essential points for both the present and near future of education – all bite-sized, Super Quick Guide style.

Learning theories must be put into practice

Don’t underestimate the importance of understanding and applying learning theories in teaching – that was a key theme in the conversation. For example, understanding the differences between key teaching concepts like formal, informal, and incidental learning can help you adapt your teaching approach to better meet the need of diverse learners. Exploring different types of scaffolding – a teaching strategy that involves providing temporary support to help students learn – such as hard vs. soft or metacognitive vs. sensory, can inform how you provide targeted support.

Make it visual

As Hannah pointed out, visual aids can be particularly helpful in making complex ideas more accessible. They can play a critical role in accommodating diverse learning needs, especially for students with learning differences, such as dyslexia. By making educational resources more engaging and digestible, visual elements can help bridge the gap between theory and practice, a key issue in teacher training today -- and The Super Quick Guide to Learning Theories and Approaches was designed with that in mind.

Ask!

As said by Andy, “the challenge of coaching is being a good listener, it's really hard to be a genuinely good listener and not trying to answer or fix the problem.”

Effective coaching techniques—such as asking the empowering questions—can empower teachers and students alike, helping them develop autonomy. As the role of coaching gains traction in education, understanding what it is (and how it differs from mentoring) is more important than ever for educators looking to support their students' growth.

C is for critical

Even the most experienced teachers need reminders of key terms and concepts, highlighting the importance of ongoing professional development. And critical thinking should be in every teacher’s Continuous Professional Development [G(1] plan – hence the critical thinking pedagogy built into the book. Andy and Hannah argued it’s essential for teachers to remain reflective and adaptable: reflecting on your own preferences and biases around learning styles can make you a more empathetic and effective teacher, enabling you to forge connections with students and better meet their needs.

For more food for thought, listen to the podcast here.