Three academics from the University of Bedfordshire have published a new book calling on teachers to stop choosing sides in long-running debates over how children should be taught and instead use a wider range of evidence-based approaches in the classroom.
The book, ‘The Learning Sciences in the Secondary Classroom’, has been written by Dr James Shea, principal lecturer in teacher education, Dr Audrey Wood, senior lecturer in teacher education, and Stephen Cox, lecturer in education.
Published by SAGE Publishing, the book argues that there is no single teaching method that works in every classroom. Instead, the authors say teachers should combine different approaches depending on the needs of their pupils and the lesson being taught.
The publication comes as debates continue across the education sector over subjects such as explicit instruction, enquiry-based learning, cognitive science and the growing role of artificial intelligence in education.
Rather than presenting those ideas as competing philosophies, the authors argue that teachers should draw on insights from a range of learning sciences, including cognitive science, social constructivism, behaviourist approaches, enquiry-based learning and emerging theories around networked learning.
The book combines educational research with practical classroom examples and is aimed particularly at trainee teachers and those at the start of their careers. It is also the first to reference research from the Initial Teacher Training and Early Career Framework throughout every chapter, helping readers link educational theory with classroom practice.
Among its key messages is that no single theory can explain every classroom situation, that successful teaching draws on multiple traditions, and that approaches such as group work, enquiry learning or explicit instruction should not be dismissed simply because they have been implemented poorly.
Dr James Shea said he wanted to move the debate away from what he describes as the “theory wars”.
“I wrote this book because I became increasingly concerned by what I call the ‘theory wars’ in education. Too often, schools feel pressured to choose sides between competing views of learning. In reality, great teachers rarely work that way. The best teachers blend ideas from across the learning sciences, selecting and combining approaches based on what their pupils need to learn at that moment.
“My hope is that the book helps teachers move beyond ideological debates and develop a richer understanding of how learning really happens – both inside classrooms and increasingly through the digital networks, social media and AI systems that shape modern life.”
Drawing on the authors’ work in secondary teacher education at the University of Bedfordshire, the book has been written for an international audience and reflects the university’s focus on evidence-informed teaching and preparing future teachers for a rapidly changing education landscape.
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