Brendan Bentley - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Special Issue by Brendan Bentley

Education Sciences , 2022

Papers by Brendan Bentley

Journal of Education for Teaching, Feb 12, 2016

Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern yo... more Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document. When citing, please reference the published version. Take down policy While the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has been uploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.

This paper presents the findings of a study concerned with student teachers\u27 perceptions of th... more This paper presents the findings of a study concerned with student teachers\u27 perceptions of their role as civic educators. Focusing on student teachers undertaking one-year, pre-service programmes within the secondary age range (11- to 18-years-old) at a large higher education institution in the south of England, the study adopted a mixed methods approach involving a cross-sectional, whole cohort questionnaire and follow-up individual interviews with a small sample of the original cohort. Here we explore the expectations and perceptions of students regarding both preparing pupils for responsible and active citizenship as a general curricular aim, and teaching pupils citizenship education as a statutory subject within the English National Curriculum for secondary schools. The research is presented in the context of a mixed picture (in terms of both policy and practice) in English secondary schools, with evidence suggesting that education for citizenship is often taught by non-spec...

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Education Sciences

Recent government and industry priorities have led to a call to raise the quality of STEM learnin... more Recent government and industry priorities have led to a call to raise the quality of STEM learning to meet the future needs of industry and workforce skills. In Australia, education jurisdictions have responded to this challenge. Consequently, education is now considered critical in developing the skills required to meet these future needs. However, several significant issues have hindered STEM education’s advancement. These impediments if not resolved may impact Australia’s future STEM workforce and subsequent economic prosperity. This paper seeks to address some of the key impediments identified within the research literature by making a series of recommendations that provide insight into possible improvement to help recalibrate future STEM education initiatives and support Australia’s long-term economic growth.

International Journal of Research Publications

Gender inequality is a global issue. Although it is more commonly discussed in the context of soc... more Gender inequality is a global issue. Although it is more commonly discussed in the context of social affordances, it is also prevalent in education. A secondary data analysis is used to interrogate differences in gender achievement using publicly available English and Mathematics data from 2012 to 2019. The study focuses on students studying in their final two years of schooling in government schools in South Australia, Australia. The paper considers both historical and international perspectives, and analyzes the publicly available senior secondary assessment data for South Australia, one of Australia's major educational jurisdictions. While data regarding achievement in gender-related differences in schooling remains contested, findings from this study suggest that, in the South Australian context, girls are outperforming boys in both Mathematics and English subjects.

Research proposal (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2014.

Mobility, Data and Learner Agency in Networked Learning, 2020

Cognitive load theory (CLT) focuses on human cognition and the limitations of short-term memory. ... more Cognitive load theory (CLT) focuses on human cognition and the limitations of short-term memory. CLT seeks to appreciate the cognitive effort required to complete a learning task relative to the capacity of the short-term memory (Sweller 1988, 1994). It provides a framework for understanding practical implications for both the design of learning situations (sometimes called 'instructional design' or 'learning design') and the support and facilitation of learning (often called 'teaching'). As De Jong (2010) points out, CLT has supported the advancement of educational theory and practice by aiding in the explanation of a large set of experimental findings. The premise that underpins the application of CLT is as follows: by recognising and addressing (reducing or eliminating) instances of cognitive load in learning situations, educators can improve learners' ability to acquire and develop schema and, in doing so, support learning. This chapter considers CLT in networked learning (NL) and seeks to provide guidance in the identification and description of instances of cognitive load in NL so that they can be addressed through design and teaching practices that specifically aim to reduce cognitive load in NL situations. This chapter is guided by two broad questions: • How does cognitive load manifest in learning (in general)? • How does cognitive load manifest in in networked learning (in particular)?

Critical Perspectives on Teaching, Learning and Leadership, 2020

This chapter examines the contemporary understanding of instruction verified by the accumulation ... more This chapter examines the contemporary understanding of instruction verified by the accumulation of generations of scientific work and looks at finding the instructional ‘Sweet Spot’ where teachers can design instruction that is fun, efficient, and rigorous. Two instructional models are interrogated, the Constructivist Learning Theory and the Cognitive Load Theory, by reviewing empirically based literature and exploring the key ideas that surround the salient variables implicated in instruction. The chapter challenges the misconceptions and benefits associated with each of the two models and an argument is put forward, based on empirical research, highlighting that instructional models that produce substantial learning effects occur when the instruction is clear, short, unelaborated, does not overload the mind, and learners are provided with a supply of worked examples. Specific empirical evidence is unpacked that asserts that students who are exposed to teachers who employ directive teaching methods increase their achievement scores, which challenges the current paradigm of some educational practices. While evidence suggests that direct instruction has many benefits, the chapter explores that, at times, non-direct instruction may have some place in teaching and that the instructional ‘Sweet Spot’ may be a blend of both direct and non-direct instruction. The chapter concludes by providing strategies, based on evidentiary research, for creating instructional tasks designed using cognitive load principles and non-direct instruction techniques to help educators find the elusive instructional ‘Sweet Spot’.

International Journal of Research Publications, 2021

STEM Education has in recent years has been influenced by both political and pedagogical imperati... more STEM Education has in recent years has been influenced by both political and pedagogical imperatives to increase student participation and improve student learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Integrated approaches to STEM Education have been identified to increase student engagement in STEM Education and lead to improved depth of understanding of STEM concepts. Nonetheless, such integrated approaches require significant understanding from engaged, skilled an appropriately trained teachers from multiple disciplines to work effectively. This paper investigates the conceptual and philosophical rationales for integrating STEM Education and provides a summary of both pedagogically and structural considerations that may assist schools in implementing an integrated approach to STEM Education.

Homework is not useless but its quality is far more important than quantity and schools should th... more Homework is not useless but its quality is far more important than quantity and schools should think very carefully about why they are setting it, says Brendan Bentley, an education expert at the University of South Australia. In fact, too much homework can be worse than useless: It can be detrimental. "For students in grades three or four, more than 20 minutes of homework can exhaust them. They go into cognitive load, and their ability to learn goes into a decline," Mr Bentley said. "They can develop a negative attitude towards learning. It's about getting the balance right." Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used: a heavy cognitive load creates errors or interference. That 20 minutes is not a guideline for each day: "There needs to be a good argument for having homework every single night," Mr Bentley said.

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2016

The Australian mathematics teacher, 2016

Have you ever looked at an object and found yourself thinking how visually attractive that object... more Have you ever looked at an object and found yourself thinking how visually attractive that object appears to the eye? Interpersonal considerations to one side, we might be referring to the intrinsic properties which appear visibly in physical objects or images. For instance, your mind might implicitly declare, “That painting is just fabulous”, “What an amazing looking building”, or “What an interesting shape”. It may have been a piece of furniture, an item of clothing or even a flower in your garden that virtually demanded your attention. So just how can we have our attention suddenly hijacked? The most obvious factors must involve aspects such as size, colour, movement and discrepancy such as in looking at a Salvador Dali painting. Yet there is another subtle factor associated with shape that also can demand, and even attract, attention. This factor concerns the relationship between dimensions such as width and height. One such phenomenon is referred to as the Golden Proportion. Ex...

Civics and Citizenship Education in Australia, 2017

Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 2015

In this paper we are interested in the connections between Philosophy for Children and character ... more In this paper we are interested in the connections between Philosophy for Children and character education. In sketching these connections we suggest some areas where the relationship is potentially fruitful, particularly in light of research which suggests that in practice schools and teachers often adopt and mix different approaches to values education. We outline some implications of drawing connections between the two fields for moral education. The arguments made in this article are done so in the hope of encouraging further critical reflection on the potential relationship between Philosophy for Children and character education.

The Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2016

Slowmation is a twenty-first century digital literacy educational tool. This teaching and learnin... more Slowmation is a twenty-first century digital literacy educational tool. This teaching and learning tool has been incorporated as an assessment strategy in the curriculum area of science and mathematics with pre-service teachers (PSTs). This paper explores two themes: developing twenty-first century digital literacy skills and modelling best practice assessment tools. In the growing debate about the impact of multi-model representations, researchers such as Hoban and Nielsen, and Brown, Murcia and Hackling emphasise the development of conceptual understandings and semiotics. This paper focuses on PSTs' experiences of and reflections on Slowmation as an educational tool. Data was collected from a cohort of final year PSTs who created, presented and reflected on their Slowmation process.

Cogent Education, 2017

Within mathematics teaching, ways to help students resolve proportional reasoning problems remain... more Within mathematics teaching, ways to help students resolve proportional reasoning problems remains a topical issue. This study sought to investigate how a simple innovative procedure could be introduced to enhance skill acquisition. In two classroom-based experiments, 12-year-old students were asked to solve proportional reasoning mathematics problems, on four occasions, over a two-week period. On the second occasion, students worked either with or without the benefit of worked examples. The examples demonstrated a unitising strategy in the context of solving proportional reasoning missing value problems. Students exposed to the worked examples improved scores on subsequent tests. The worked example instruction was (a) mediated entirely through booklets, (b) effective with both low-and high-SES students and (c) represents a promising approach to teaching within an area that habitually presents many challenges for the general classroom teacher.

Journal of Education for Teaching, Feb 12, 2016

Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern yo... more Where a licence is displayed above, please note the terms and conditions of the licence govern your use of this document. When citing, please reference the published version. Take down policy While the University of Birmingham exercises care and attention in making items available there are rare occasions when an item has been uploaded in error or has been deemed to be commercially or otherwise sensitive.

This paper presents the findings of a study concerned with student teachers\u27 perceptions of th... more This paper presents the findings of a study concerned with student teachers\u27 perceptions of their role as civic educators. Focusing on student teachers undertaking one-year, pre-service programmes within the secondary age range (11- to 18-years-old) at a large higher education institution in the south of England, the study adopted a mixed methods approach involving a cross-sectional, whole cohort questionnaire and follow-up individual interviews with a small sample of the original cohort. Here we explore the expectations and perceptions of students regarding both preparing pupils for responsible and active citizenship as a general curricular aim, and teaching pupils citizenship education as a statutory subject within the English National Curriculum for secondary schools. The research is presented in the context of a mixed picture (in terms of both policy and practice) in English secondary schools, with evidence suggesting that education for citizenship is often taught by non-spec...

Applied Cognitive Psychology

Education Sciences

Recent government and industry priorities have led to a call to raise the quality of STEM learnin... more Recent government and industry priorities have led to a call to raise the quality of STEM learning to meet the future needs of industry and workforce skills. In Australia, education jurisdictions have responded to this challenge. Consequently, education is now considered critical in developing the skills required to meet these future needs. However, several significant issues have hindered STEM education’s advancement. These impediments if not resolved may impact Australia’s future STEM workforce and subsequent economic prosperity. This paper seeks to address some of the key impediments identified within the research literature by making a series of recommendations that provide insight into possible improvement to help recalibrate future STEM education initiatives and support Australia’s long-term economic growth.

International Journal of Research Publications

Gender inequality is a global issue. Although it is more commonly discussed in the context of soc... more Gender inequality is a global issue. Although it is more commonly discussed in the context of social affordances, it is also prevalent in education. A secondary data analysis is used to interrogate differences in gender achievement using publicly available English and Mathematics data from 2012 to 2019. The study focuses on students studying in their final two years of schooling in government schools in South Australia, Australia. The paper considers both historical and international perspectives, and analyzes the publicly available senior secondary assessment data for South Australia, one of Australia's major educational jurisdictions. While data regarding achievement in gender-related differences in schooling remains contested, findings from this study suggest that, in the South Australian context, girls are outperforming boys in both Mathematics and English subjects.

Research proposal (PhD)--University of South Australia, 2014.

Mobility, Data and Learner Agency in Networked Learning, 2020

Cognitive load theory (CLT) focuses on human cognition and the limitations of short-term memory. ... more Cognitive load theory (CLT) focuses on human cognition and the limitations of short-term memory. CLT seeks to appreciate the cognitive effort required to complete a learning task relative to the capacity of the short-term memory (Sweller 1988, 1994). It provides a framework for understanding practical implications for both the design of learning situations (sometimes called 'instructional design' or 'learning design') and the support and facilitation of learning (often called 'teaching'). As De Jong (2010) points out, CLT has supported the advancement of educational theory and practice by aiding in the explanation of a large set of experimental findings. The premise that underpins the application of CLT is as follows: by recognising and addressing (reducing or eliminating) instances of cognitive load in learning situations, educators can improve learners' ability to acquire and develop schema and, in doing so, support learning. This chapter considers CLT in networked learning (NL) and seeks to provide guidance in the identification and description of instances of cognitive load in NL so that they can be addressed through design and teaching practices that specifically aim to reduce cognitive load in NL situations. This chapter is guided by two broad questions: • How does cognitive load manifest in learning (in general)? • How does cognitive load manifest in in networked learning (in particular)?

Critical Perspectives on Teaching, Learning and Leadership, 2020

This chapter examines the contemporary understanding of instruction verified by the accumulation ... more This chapter examines the contemporary understanding of instruction verified by the accumulation of generations of scientific work and looks at finding the instructional ‘Sweet Spot’ where teachers can design instruction that is fun, efficient, and rigorous. Two instructional models are interrogated, the Constructivist Learning Theory and the Cognitive Load Theory, by reviewing empirically based literature and exploring the key ideas that surround the salient variables implicated in instruction. The chapter challenges the misconceptions and benefits associated with each of the two models and an argument is put forward, based on empirical research, highlighting that instructional models that produce substantial learning effects occur when the instruction is clear, short, unelaborated, does not overload the mind, and learners are provided with a supply of worked examples. Specific empirical evidence is unpacked that asserts that students who are exposed to teachers who employ directive teaching methods increase their achievement scores, which challenges the current paradigm of some educational practices. While evidence suggests that direct instruction has many benefits, the chapter explores that, at times, non-direct instruction may have some place in teaching and that the instructional ‘Sweet Spot’ may be a blend of both direct and non-direct instruction. The chapter concludes by providing strategies, based on evidentiary research, for creating instructional tasks designed using cognitive load principles and non-direct instruction techniques to help educators find the elusive instructional ‘Sweet Spot’.

International Journal of Research Publications, 2021

STEM Education has in recent years has been influenced by both political and pedagogical imperati... more STEM Education has in recent years has been influenced by both political and pedagogical imperatives to increase student participation and improve student learning in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Education. Integrated approaches to STEM Education have been identified to increase student engagement in STEM Education and lead to improved depth of understanding of STEM concepts. Nonetheless, such integrated approaches require significant understanding from engaged, skilled an appropriately trained teachers from multiple disciplines to work effectively. This paper investigates the conceptual and philosophical rationales for integrating STEM Education and provides a summary of both pedagogically and structural considerations that may assist schools in implementing an integrated approach to STEM Education.

Homework is not useless but its quality is far more important than quantity and schools should th... more Homework is not useless but its quality is far more important than quantity and schools should think very carefully about why they are setting it, says Brendan Bentley, an education expert at the University of South Australia. In fact, too much homework can be worse than useless: It can be detrimental. "For students in grades three or four, more than 20 minutes of homework can exhaust them. They go into cognitive load, and their ability to learn goes into a decline," Mr Bentley said. "They can develop a negative attitude towards learning. It's about getting the balance right." Cognitive load refers to the total amount of mental effort being used: a heavy cognitive load creates errors or interference. That 20 minutes is not a guideline for each day: "There needs to be a good argument for having homework every single night," Mr Bentley said.

Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2016

The Australian mathematics teacher, 2016

Have you ever looked at an object and found yourself thinking how visually attractive that object... more Have you ever looked at an object and found yourself thinking how visually attractive that object appears to the eye? Interpersonal considerations to one side, we might be referring to the intrinsic properties which appear visibly in physical objects or images. For instance, your mind might implicitly declare, “That painting is just fabulous”, “What an amazing looking building”, or “What an interesting shape”. It may have been a piece of furniture, an item of clothing or even a flower in your garden that virtually demanded your attention. So just how can we have our attention suddenly hijacked? The most obvious factors must involve aspects such as size, colour, movement and discrepancy such as in looking at a Salvador Dali painting. Yet there is another subtle factor associated with shape that also can demand, and even attract, attention. This factor concerns the relationship between dimensions such as width and height. One such phenomenon is referred to as the Golden Proportion. Ex...

Civics and Citizenship Education in Australia, 2017

Journal of Philosophy in Schools, 2015

In this paper we are interested in the connections between Philosophy for Children and character ... more In this paper we are interested in the connections between Philosophy for Children and character education. In sketching these connections we suggest some areas where the relationship is potentially fruitful, particularly in light of research which suggests that in practice schools and teachers often adopt and mix different approaches to values education. We outline some implications of drawing connections between the two fields for moral education. The arguments made in this article are done so in the hope of encouraging further critical reflection on the potential relationship between Philosophy for Children and character education.

The Australian Journal of Teacher Education, 2016

Slowmation is a twenty-first century digital literacy educational tool. This teaching and learnin... more Slowmation is a twenty-first century digital literacy educational tool. This teaching and learning tool has been incorporated as an assessment strategy in the curriculum area of science and mathematics with pre-service teachers (PSTs). This paper explores two themes: developing twenty-first century digital literacy skills and modelling best practice assessment tools. In the growing debate about the impact of multi-model representations, researchers such as Hoban and Nielsen, and Brown, Murcia and Hackling emphasise the development of conceptual understandings and semiotics. This paper focuses on PSTs' experiences of and reflections on Slowmation as an educational tool. Data was collected from a cohort of final year PSTs who created, presented and reflected on their Slowmation process.

Cogent Education, 2017

Within mathematics teaching, ways to help students resolve proportional reasoning problems remain... more Within mathematics teaching, ways to help students resolve proportional reasoning problems remains a topical issue. This study sought to investigate how a simple innovative procedure could be introduced to enhance skill acquisition. In two classroom-based experiments, 12-year-old students were asked to solve proportional reasoning mathematics problems, on four occasions, over a two-week period. On the second occasion, students worked either with or without the benefit of worked examples. The examples demonstrated a unitising strategy in the context of solving proportional reasoning missing value problems. Students exposed to the worked examples improved scores on subsequent tests. The worked example instruction was (a) mediated entirely through booklets, (b) effective with both low-and high-SES students and (c) represents a promising approach to teaching within an area that habitually presents many challenges for the general classroom teacher.

Journal of Perspectives in Applied Academic Practice, 2016

For many educators, the adoption of learning technologies as part of a ‘technology-enhanced’ appr... more For many educators, the adoption of learning technologies as part of a ‘technology-enhanced’ approach to learning and teaching implies change. Technology takes on a disruptive role. Therefore, it is important to understand the pedagogical commitments associated with current practices in order to better understand any change implied by the use of particular technology ‘enhancements’. This article reports on a case study of the change experienced by one tertiary educator in the shift from successful on campus to flexible online teaching in an undergraduate Numeracy course. The study addresses the question: How do teaching academics translate a robust, proven on-campus course into a successful, flexibly delivered technology-enhanced course? The case employs an autoethnographic approach to recording and analysing the educator’s experiences to highlight comparisons between on-campus (face-to-face) and online teaching practices. The findings support the conclusion that ‘good teaching is g...