The Curiosity Gap

Tiny Experiments in the Classroom

The chapter in which I remembered I was doing a PhD in curiosity research and began to rediscover my love of teaching

Aug 28 • Chris Reid

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The Science of Learning Isn’t Really About Learning

It’s about teaching – and here’s what happens when we pretend it’s a science

Aug 17 • Chris Reid

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July 2026

In Education, Motivation is Everywhere

Daniel Muijs is right about the effect sizes – and wrong about what they mean

Jul 19 • Chris Reid

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Impotent Knowledge: We may as well teach alchemy and astrology

Science is a practical subject, but we’ve turned it into magic tricks and box ticking

Jul 14 • Chris Reid

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Are girls being left behind in school?

Closing the gender gap has cost girls over £100 million in lifetime earnings – and that’s just in one subject

Jul 7 • Chris Reid

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June 2026

If it’s not child-centred, who’s it for?

England’s ‘Official Pedagogy’ – and the evidence it left out

Jun 29 • Chris Reid

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What do we talk about when we talk about evidence?

I’ve got a teaching technique to sell. You buying?

Jun 22 • Chris Reid

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Teacher autonomy is not a professional obstacle

Evidence-based teaching is good. Stitching together techniques, removing teacher judgement and forcing everyone to follow the same script isn’t.

Jun 16 • Chris Reid

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The Idiot Who Talked About Discovery Learning at Interview

Time to bring Moderately Guided Instruction in from the cold

Jun 8 • Chris Reid

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May 2026

The moral case for curiosity in the classroom

High standards, a knowledge-rich curriculum – and a pass mark of 20%.

May 28 • Chris Reid

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What if I’m the cognitive load?

What are our students thinking about… when we don’t give them a reason to think about our lesson?

May 9 • Chris Reid

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April 2026

I was wrong. Here’s what I’d change about education research

What happens at BERA, stays at BERA. Why the trad/prog fight is weakening the field – and what we can do about it.

Apr 29 • Chris Reid

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