An Illustrated Guide to Pedagogy with Fin Wilson and Jane Miller

Good Morning!

This week on Thinking Deeply About Primary Education, I’m joined by Fin Wilson and Jane Miller of Impact Wales to explore the intersections of research, policy, and classroom practice.

We discuss the contrasting educational landscapes in England and Wales, the ongoing debate around the science of teaching reading, and the challenges teachers face when policy lags behind evidence. Fin and Jane share insights from An Illustrated Guide to Pedagogy, touching on cognitive load, categorisation, and the research of Mandler and Bjork — ideas that challenge how we think about learning and retention.

It’s a conversation that connects theory with the realities of the classroom, and one that’s packed with ideas you can take straight into your own practice.

And if you’re looking for more, this week’s Recommended Reading section is overflowing with books, papers, and research to keep you thinking long after the episode ends.

A link to “wherever you get your podcasts”…

YouTube Audio

Visual Summary

Links to Fin and Jane’s Recommendations

What if everything you knew about school was wrong? - David Didau

Mandler’s Categorization Theory (1967) - George Mandler

Desirable Difficulties in Theory and Practice (2020) - Robert and Elizbeth Bjork

On the learning benefits of confidence weighted testing - Bjork and Sparck

An Illustrated Guide to Pedagogy - Fin Wilson

Impact Wales Podcast - Fin Wilson and Jane Miller

Ausubel’s Meaningful Learning in Action - Sarah Cottinghatt

TDaPE Conference

Tickets are on sale for the Thinking Deeply about Primary Education Conference in Cardiff. Join us for a day of professional learning in aid of a great cause. September 27th, 2025 - 8:30am to 2:30pm. Click on the image to get your tickets!

Listening Certificates

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Huge thank you to everyone who shared the post last week. You’ve helped more and more teachers and educators think deeply about their craft and it is hugely appreciated. I’m going to record the first milestone 10-minute PD session on Wednesday, so if theres anything that you really want covered, now is the time to reply to this email and let me know…

That’s all for this week. Let us know if you enjoyed any of the recommendations or have any questions via the comments section wherever you listen or by replying to this email.

Until next time, thanks for listening.