Author: TeachThought Staff

contributed by Lee Caroll, PhD and updated by TeachThought Staff Research agrees that the strongest students emerge from homes supportive in the learning process, and below we’ve listed a few ways parents can support students at home. In 8 Science-Based Strategies For Critical Thinking, we looked at ways we can use ‘thinking like a scientist’ to improve our own critical thinking skills. Below, we’re following that post up with a quick read: How to help children think critically at home. 8 Ways Parents Can Support Critical Thinking At Home 1. Think critically as a habit Whether you’re thinking critically about the news or thinking critically…

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by TeachThought Staff What is learned helplessness? Definition Learned helplessness is a psychological condition in which a person, after repeated failures or negative experiences, believes they have no control over situations’ outcomes and stops trying to improve or change them. Below is an example of Learned Helplessness in the classroom. Instructor: The biggest fear for an adolescent, written throughout this text, is not fitting in. Jesse, you talked about acceptance. Now, to understand how this happens, how it looks, and what it feels like, we’re going to do an activity. This is an on-your-own activity, and it’s not meant to…

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Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy: cognitive process dimension Bloom’s Revised Taxonomy changed the original 1956 framework by updating the level names to verbs, reordering the top levels, and adding a second dimension for types of knowledge. The revision clarifies what students do cognitively and how those actions interact with factual, conceptual, procedural, and metacognitive knowledge. How Bloom’s Taxonomy Changed Nouns to verbs: levels reframed as cognitive actions: Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyze, Evaluate, Create. Top-level reorder: Create placed above Evaluate to reflect generative thinking. Two dimensions: pair the Cognitive Process with the Knowledge Dimension (Factual, Conceptual, Procedural, Metacognitive). Clearer alignment: objectives, instruction, and…

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Educational Technology Integration: Essential Digital Tools for Both Assessment and Strategic Planning in K-12 Education Education leaders want to help their students succeed, which is much easier with new software programs. Demonstrating transparency while achieving district goals is possible without confusing multiplatform usage. Administrators interested in strategic planning and execution tools for K-12 school districts should compare their options to determine the ideal platform. Criteria to Find the Best Planning Resources Comparing the many digital tools available for education leaders may feel overwhelming. Simplify the process by looking for leading factors that help people make their districts better places to…

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by TeachThought Staff How do you cite a tweet MLA Style? First, let’s clarify that while it’s not exactly an Oxford library and therefore may not be the first place you visit for scholarly research, contrary to popular belief there are things on twitter worth citing. Long an indirect but potent tool of torture in English classrooms and University campuses everywhere, the MLA (and other cohorts, including APA and Chicago) released a format for quoting tweets in formal writing. We’ve excerpted some of the most common questions for citing tweets in MLA style, but you can check out their recommendations…

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Social Learning Theory Big idea: Learners acquire behaviors and strategies by observing others and interpreting the consequences of those behaviors. Related terms: Behaviorism; Communal Constructivism; Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory; Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD); Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR); Cognitive Load Theory; Feedback Loops in Learning Definition: Social Learning Theory, associated with Albert Bandura, explains learning as a process that occurs through observation, imitation, and the cognitive interpretation of modeled behavior and its outcomes. Learners selectively attend to models—teachers, peers, or digital sources—encode what they see, and evaluate whether those behaviors are worth reproducing based on expected consequences and perceived self-efficacy.…

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The Definition Of Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs by TeachThought Staff Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs is a theoretical framework comprising a tiered model of human needs, often depicted as hierarchical levels within a pyramid. The framework was developed by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper, ‘A Theory of Human Motivation’ in the journal Psychological Review and revised multiple times (thus resulting in multiple versions), and in 1954 was republished in his book, ‘Motivation and Personality.’ For the purpose of this post, we will refer to one expert’s interpretation of the entire body of work as he seeks to reconcile so many unique expressions…

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November 19, 2025 What Is Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Learning Theory? by TeachThought Staff What did Vygotsky say about learning? Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory describes learning as a fundamentally social process and locates the origins of human intelligence within cultural activity. A central theme of this framework is that social interaction plays a primary role in cognitive development: knowledge is first constructed between people and later internalized by the individual (Vygotsky, 1978). Also known as the Sociohistorical Theory, Vygotsky’s model emphasizes how cultural context, shared activities, and especially language shape the development of higher mental functions. Learning and development are inseparable from…

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November 18, 2025 | Updated November 15, 2025 by TeachThought Staff Recently I came across this interesting article: Shifting from Pedagogy to Heutagogy and whilst espousing all contained within, it got me thinking about the inescapable perils faced when adopting this and other progressive forms of teaching. See also 7 Differences Between Good And Great Teachers Going against the grain can be a lonely experience at times, and whilst sound theory and instinct act as a nice warm blanket against the cold, one could well do with a practical survival guide to assist in implementing new practice. Teachers need…

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