Although most people assume that tests are a way to evaluate learning, a wealth of research has shown that testing can actually improve learning, according to two researchers from Kent State University. Dr. Katherine Rawson, associate professor in Kent State’s Department of Psychology, and former Kent State graduate student Mary Pyc publish their research findings in the Oct. 15, 2010, issue of the journal Science.

“Taking practice tests – particularly ones that involve attempting to recall something from memory – can drastically increase the likelihood that you’ll be able to remember that information again later,” Rawson said. “Given that hundreds of experiments have been conducted to establish the effects of testing on learning, it’s surprising that we know very little about why testing improves memory.” [continue reading…]

Research at four high schools in two different parts of the U.S. (Southwest and Mid-Atlantic) helped Professor Aaron Kupchik develop an unflattering picture of school discipline in America. Schools are much safer now than they were 15 years ago, yet discipline tactics still grow harsher. Too often, Kupchik notes, school officials rigidly enforce rules, rules created in reaction to highly publicized school shootings, without considering how to help troubled kids. [continue reading…]

Two researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela (USC) have studied the relationship between teenagers’ goals and antisocial behaviour. The results show that the principal goal of young people is to finish their studies and leave home. The most antisocial among them place greater importance on popularity with others.

“The goals that teenagers place most importance on are to do with leaving home, work and education, in other words they are related to finishing their studies and academic achievements”, Laura López Romero, co-author of the study with Estrella Romero and a researcher at the USC, tells SINC. [continue reading…]