Educational Psychology

Supporting Educators • Promoting Learning
Written by ANDREW EALES

I recently came across an article by Elizabeth Gilbert of the University of West Virginia and Nina Strohminger of Yale University presenting their findings that only a third of published psychology research is reliable.

Another article confirms that in the field of biomedicine less than 50% of research proves reliable when the “reproducibility factor” is applied. And astonishingly, we read elsewhere that “just 11% of preclinical cancer research studies could be confirmed”.

We might well speculate as to why such a body of inaccurate “research” is being published. And let’s be clear that it is academics themselves who are drawing attention to the problem, and expressing frustration.

And if research in medicine and psychology are this unreliable, shouldn’t we equally be concerned about the research that informs educational theories and methods?

PATHWAYS FOR PLAYING

Supporting Your Piano Playing Journey
Written by ANDREW EALES

What is it that motivates us as pianists?
Why did we start learning to play the piano? ..
And why do we continue to play?
What are our piano goals for the future? ..
And how do they excite us?
How can we motivate and inspire our students?

Ask these questions to a hundred pianists, and there’s a good chance you will hear a hundred different answers, but common themes will likely emerge.

In this article I am going to consider the many and complex motivations we all experience in life, focussing in on the difference between intrinsic and extrinsic motivations, and how each pertains to our piano playing.

Tag: Educational Psychology

Can we really trust educational research?

The Pianist’s Motivations