When Will They Learn?

In this episode, Greg and Caiti take on the idea of ‘critical thinking’ in schools. They respond to a recent EducationHQ article on teaching critical thinking and unpack the assumptions behind calls to prioritise it in classrooms. They explore what ‘critical thinking’ actually means, whether it can be taught as a general skill, and what the evidence from cognitive science suggests. They then turn to a discussion paper published by the Sydney Social Sciences and Humanities Advanced Research Centre (SSSHARC) at the University of Sydney, examining broader critiques of ‘evidence-based practice’, where education research is argued to come from, and whether schooling and education are truly positioned in opposition to one another.
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Greg Ashman
Greg is a school leader at Ballarat Clarendon College and holds a PhD in instructional design from UNSW.
Substack – Filling the Pail
LinkedIn – Greg Ashman
X/Twitter – @greg_ashman
If you’re interested in working with Greg at Ballarat Clarendon College, please see here for open roles and expressions of interest.
Caiti Wade
Caiti is a leader of pedagogy at a boys’ secondary school in Brisbane and is doing her EdD in applications of cognitive load theory to secondary mathematics.
Substack – The Disruptive Educator
LinkedIn – Caiti Wade
X/Twitter – @caiti_wade
Episode resources
* Teaching kids critical thinking skills early may help ensure our future - EducationHQ
* Hearing Educator Perspectives: From ‘Evidence-Based Practice’ to Valuing the ‘Enriched Evidence-Based Practice’ of Education
Acknowledgement of country
We would like to acknowledge The Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we record this podcast, the lands of the Wadawurrung People, and those of the Jagera and Turrbal Peoples, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whenwilltheylearn.substack.com

In this episode, Greg and Caiti respond to recent discussions on The Balance podcast between Dr Catlin Tucker and Dr Pete Liljedahl about ‘Building Thinking Classrooms’. They examine how key claims do or don’t align with evidence from cognitive science. They then unpack a recent opinion piece by John Cole for the Australian Association for Research in Education’s blog, asking who gets to decide what counts as ‘best practice’ in teaching.
Have something you want us to discuss in a future episode? Or want to find us?
Get in touch
Greg Ashman
Greg is a school leader at Ballarat Clarendon College and holds a PhD in instructional design from UNSW.
Substack – Filling the Pail
LinkedIn – Greg Ashman
X/Twitter – @greg_ashman
If you’re interested in working with Greg at Ballarat Clarendon College, please see here for open roles and expressions of interest.
Caiti Wade
Caiti is a leader of pedagogy at a boys’ secondary school in Brisbane and is doing her EdD in applications of cognitive load theory to secondary mathematics.
Substack – The Disruptive Educator
LinkedIn – Caiti Wade
X/Twitter – @caiti_wade
Episode resources
* Building Thinking Classrooms: The Balance Podcast by Dr Catlin Tucker with Dr Peter Liljedahl
* ‘Setting the Standards: Who chooses ‘best practice’’ by John Cole
Acknowledgement of country
We would like to acknowledge The Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we record this podcast, the lands of the Wadawurrung People, and those of the Jagera and Turrbal Peoples, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.


This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit whenwilltheylearn.substack.com