Ask any experienced educator and they'll tell you the same thing: knowing your subject is only half the battle. The other half is understanding how students actually learn — and translating that understanding into daily classroom practice.
While it might sound straightforward, in a profession where time is scarce and expectations are sky-high, the gap between what the research says and what happens in the classroom can be wider than many school leaders would like to admit.
That gap, if left unaddressed, has real consequences. Students disengage, teachers second-guess themselves, and schools find themselves investing in professional learning that doesn't move the needle in the ways they'd hoped.
Fortunately, a growing body of evidence now exists to help educators bridge it — and a new initiative from the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO) is making that evidence accessible to schools nationwide.
Turning the science of learning into practice
On 25 June, AERO launched a new short online course designed to help teachers deepen their understanding of how students learn and apply that knowledge where it matters most — in the classroom.
The 'Introduction to AERO's model of learning and teaching' course offers a practical entry point to the evidence underpinning effective classroom practice, supporting teachers to make more informed decisions about how they teach.
AERO's model of learning and teaching links elements of student learning processes to associated teaching practices in four key areas:
1. To align with the evidence that learning is a change in long-term memory, teachers develop a teaching and learning plan for the knowledge students will acquire.
2. To align with the evidence that students process limited amounts of new information, teachers manage the cognitive load of learning tasks.
3. To align with the evidence on how students develop and demonstrate mastery, teachers maximise retention, consolidation and application of learning.
4. To align with the evidence that students are actively engaged when learning, teachers foster the conditions of a learning-focused environment.
'A common language' across the staffroom
Asked where she sees the biggest gap between the evidence base and what's actually happening in classrooms, Dr Donovan pointed to AERO's own research.
"AERO's 2022 national snapshot report gave us a clear, data-driven baseline of teaching practice in Australian classrooms," Dr Donovan told The Educator. "Teachers reported in large numbers that they were using practices unsupported by evidence."
Dr Donovan said AERO also saw early indications that some teachers weren't making use of the full range of evidence-based strategies, so their impact was only partially realised.
"Building teacher confidence was also a major opportunity," she said. "We know teachers who feel equipped to assess academic research are twice as likely to use it to improve their teaching."
Dr Donovan said the introductory course helps bridge those gaps by translating complex cognitive load theory into real-world actions teachers can take in the classroom.
"We explain the relationship between working memory, long-term memory, and effective practice, to give teachers a clear, evidence-informed foundation for chunking content, sequencing instruction, and confidently pivoting toward explicit teaching strategies that will help learning stick."
Many principals invest heavily in professional learning, yet still wonder whether any of it is actually changing what happens in classrooms.
"Principals can use this short course as a starting point to build a common language and shared understanding of evidence-based practice across their staff," Dr Donovan said, adding that rather than isolated professional learning events, leaders should be integrating this model into staff meetings, peer mentoring, and collaborative planning sessions.
As for how leaders can tell whether it's making a real difference, Dr Donovan said the proof lies in visible, consistent changes to daily routines.
"Signs include teachers explicitly stating learning objectives, breaking lessons into small chunks, frequently checking for understanding before moving on, and systematically scaffolding practice," she said. "Ultimately, the biggest sign is seeing calm, focused classrooms where all students regularly demonstrate their learning successes."
Where the learning breakdown occurs
When walking into a school where students aren't making the progress leaders had hoped for, Dr Donovan says there are things she'd look at first – before assuming the problem was the curriculum, the resources, or the students themselves.
"I'd start by checking whether classrooms are safe, supportive and learning-focused environments," she said. "When there are positive teacher-student relationships and when teachers have high expectations for their students and provide support so all can be successful, students can learn."
From there, Dr Donovan said she would check whether new information is being explicitly taught in clear, sequenced chunks, and would encourage frequent, active checks for understanding, such as lots of questions and opportunities for students to respond.
"This ensures the teacher is catching misconceptions in real-time rather than waiting for an end-of-week or even end-of-term assessment," she said. "If students aren't being guided through structured, scaffolded practice before being asked to work independently, that is where the learning breakdown occurs."
Calmer classrooms, a narrower equity gap
Looking ahead, Dr Donovan has a clear picture of what Australian classrooms should look like in five years' time – one where evidence-informed instruction is the default foundation of every classroom.
"We should see a significant shift toward highly structured, predictable environments where routines maximise instructional time and all students experience learning success," she said.
"Classrooms will look calmer and more inclusive, with diverse learners supported seamlessly. Most importantly, we will see a dramatic narrowing of the equity gap, with far fewer students falling permanently behind in their foundational literacy and numeracy skills."