Why Don't Students Like School?

Research-based insights and practical advice about effective learning strategies

In this new edition of the highly regarded Why Don't Students Like School? cognitive psychologist Daniel Willingham turns his research on the biological and cognitive basis of learning into workable teaching techniques. This book will help you improve your teaching practice by explaining how you and your students think and learn. It reveals the importance of story, emotion, memory, context, and routine in building knowledge and creating lasting learning experiences.

With a treasure trove of updated material, this edition draws its themes from the most frequently asked questions in Willingham’s “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” column in the American Educator. How can you teach students the skills they need when standardized testing just requires facts? Why do students remember everything on TV, but forget everything you say? How can you adjust your teaching for different learning styles? Read this book for the answers to these questions and for practical advice on helping your learners learn better.

Discover easy-to-understand, evidence-based principles with clear applications for the classroom

• Update yourself on the latest cognitive science research and new, teacher-tested pedagogical tools
• Learn about Willingham’s surprising findings, such as that you cannot develop “thinking skills” without facts
• Understand the brain’s workings to help you hone your teaching skills

Why Students Don’t Like School is a valuable resource for both veteran and novice teachers, teachers-in-training, and for the principals, administrators, and staff development professionals who work with them.

Acknowledgments to the First Edition xi

Acknowledgments to the Second Edition xiii

The Author xv

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1

Why Don’t Students Like School? 1

Chapter 2

How Can I Teach Students the Skills They Need When Standardized Tests Require Only Facts? 25

Chapter 3

Why Do Students Remember Everything That’s on Television and Forget Everything I Say? 57

Chapter 4

Why Is It So Hard for Students to Understand Abstract Ideas? 95

Chapter 5

Is Drilling Worth It? 119

Chapter 6

What’s the Secret to Getting Students to Think Like Real Scientists, Mathematicians, and Historians? 143

Chapter 7

How Should I Adjust My Teaching for Different Types of Learners? 167

Chapter 8

How Can I Help Slow Learners? 191

Chapter 9

How Can I Know Whether New Technology Will Improve Student Learning? 217

Chapter 10

What About My Mind? 251

Conclusion 273

Glossary 281

Notes 285

Index 291

DANIEL T. WILLINGHAM is Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia. He is the author of several educational books, the columnist for “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” for American Educator, and a fellow of the American Psychological Association. He was appointed in 2017 by President Obama to serve as a Member of the National Board for Education Sciences.

In Why Don’t Students Like School?, distinguished researcher and accomplished author Daniel Willingham delivers tangible, accessible ways that educators can improve learning outcomes for students. The book offers practical strategies backed by scientific evidence that can be put to immediate use by classroom teachers.

Praise for WHY DON’T STUDENTS Like SCHOOL?

“A critical addition to the literature on teaching and learning.”
—John B. King, Jr., 10th U.S. Secretary of Education and President and CEO of The Education Trust

“Willingham’s clear explanation of what it takes to learn and think well gives teachers and policymakers a strong blueprint for helping our youth not only tackle COVID’s aftermath, but thrive.”
—Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers

“A rare pairing of intelligible theoretical principles and practical strategies crafted with teachers in mind. Willingham’s book is one that educators can revisit and appreciate anew with every year of teaching.”
—Jasmine Lane, High School English Teacher, Minnesota