Title: When Can You Trust the Experts? How to Tell Good Science From Bad in Education
Author: Daniel T. Willingham
Publication: Jossey-Bass, 2012
My Star Rating: 5 stars out of 5 = I Love It
My Summary Statement: Sets Foundation For Evaluating Claims Yourself and Ideas for Broad Use by Schools
Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. He has published another book about schooling, Why Don't Students Like School?, is a columnist for the magazine American Teacher and blogs for The Washington Post and Brittanica.com.
This book is written to a layperson, by that I mean, it is written to help a non-scientist learn more about how to evaluate claims made when scientific studies are cited as evidence. The first half of the book is general, foundational information that could apply to any field (not just education). The second half is about how to evaluate claims made by people selling products or services to schools (switch to our new math program!) or when debating educational pedagogy on a broader scale (phonics vs. whole language reading, etc.).
I found this book very easy to understand. I am not a scientist. I am a homeschooling mother who has read a fair number of books on education, pedagogy, and education reform. I am not a professional teacher. I think this book could be of use to any teacher. It would also be helpful for Board of Education members and other stakeholders to have an awareness of these matters.
In the first half Willingham discusses not just dry information about general science but he discusses the psychological factors that influence why people choose to believe or not believe what they are told or even what they observe. How bias influences not just the judgment when we read an article recommending a new teaching method but how teachers can (without realizing it) view their classroom experiences un-objectively, thus tainting reality to favor the outcome they wanted.
I was also interested in the discussion of how tricky education is compared to something more clear cut such as the applied science fields. Even if a study showed that a certain math program was helpful there are still many variables that can result in poorer results in a classroom, such as the degree to which the individual teacher bought into executing the new math program or what happens in that unique group dynamic in that classroom (between students).
In the second half of the book Willingham lays out a step by step process for teachers or school administrators to use to figure out if making a change is right, and if so, how to evaluate claims made by the marketing people. Here Willingham adds in some advertising and marketing information that rightly should be a factor in the decision-making process. This section is very easy to read and his method seems so simple, it takes work to learn the new thinking processes but it will work if it is used.
Willingham tries very hard to get the reader to feel they are capable and can be empowered to make such decisions using his criteria and his method. However if that is not enough, near the end of the book, he gives an idea for how the teacher’s union should create jobs for individuals who are willing and able to help make such decisions. A new position could be created to help schools, whether this is done by a few that would help many or whether it is something done on a state or local level is up for debate.
I found this book fascinating to ponder on, and it is of practical use at the same time. Again I want to stress that this is an easy read for non-scientists, it is approachable and understandable. Willingham’s sense of caring for the education and welfare of children is evident as is his respect and admiration for teachers and schools. He just wants everyone to be a bit more scientifically savvy when evaluating claims made for improving teaching methods, and with this book he has laid out his plan clearly and simply.
Disclosure: I received an advance reading copy of this book from Amazon.com's Vine program for the purpose of reviewing it on amazon.com. I was not paid to review it nor to review it favorably. See my blog's full disclosure statement for more details.