Learning & Memory
Aidan McDonagh |
TEDxBangkokPatanaSchool
• March 2018
What are the factors that influence how we retain knowledge? Is it simply a function of understanding – that is, the better our understanding of the topic, the more likely we are to retain knowledge of it - or is there more to it than that? I am a teacher who has been wrestling with this question for the past five years since I began training to be a teacher in 2013 in England. I taught in London for four years and was involved in teaching mathematics, training teachers and raising standards of numeracy across the curriculum. All these experiences have taught me a lot about what effective teaching for retention looks like. Now, in 2018, I am in the final year of my Masters study in Mathematics Education. In my final report I write up my findings on this topic of memory and retention. My studies have directed me to the areas of Cognitive Science, Pedagogical Theory and Classroom Research. I believe that the answers I have found from both theory and practice will have a far-reaching impact on education.