Elizabeth Mountstevens
@drmountstevens.bsky.social
Lifelong learner and Chemistry teacher. Interested in the links between cognitive science, metacognition and the extended mind. #CTeach pilot cohort. . Views all my own.
Blogs at catalysinglearning.wordpress.com
Blogs at catalysinglearning.wordpress.com
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Delighted to make a summary of this EXCELLENT book - thought-provoking and extremely useful, and one of the BEST chapters about 'How Do We Learn' that I have read. Thanks @drcastelino.bsky.social
Summary pdfs here: itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
Summary pdfs here: itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
November 7, 2025 at 12:57 PM
Delighted to make a summary of this EXCELLENT book - thought-provoking and extremely useful, and one of the BEST chapters about 'How Do We Learn' that I have read. Thanks @drcastelino.bsky.social
Summary pdfs here: itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
Summary pdfs here: itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
How can we examine research evidence?
The EEF share the 'CLAIMS' approach in Using Research Evidence: A Concise Guide.
Read more:
educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-ev...
The EEF share the 'CLAIMS' approach in Using Research Evidence: A Concise Guide.
Read more:
educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-ev...
November 6, 2025 at 5:50 PM
How can we examine research evidence?
The EEF share the 'CLAIMS' approach in Using Research Evidence: A Concise Guide.
Read more:
educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-ev...
The EEF share the 'CLAIMS' approach in Using Research Evidence: A Concise Guide.
Read more:
educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-ev...
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
A list of diverse scientists you can feature across the primary national curriculum
www.sciencefix.co.uk/scientists-i...
#eduskyprimary #edusky #primaryscience
www.sciencefix.co.uk/scientists-i...
#eduskyprimary #edusky #primaryscience
Scientists in the National Curriculum - Danny Nics Science Fix
A list of diverse scientists which could be used in the primary science curriculum as featured scientists to study
www.sciencefix.co.uk
October 17, 2025 at 8:52 AM
A list of diverse scientists you can feature across the primary national curriculum
www.sciencefix.co.uk/scientists-i...
#eduskyprimary #edusky #primaryscience
www.sciencefix.co.uk/scientists-i...
#eduskyprimary #edusky #primaryscience
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Trainee teacher or ECT?
Join Dame @alisonpeacock.bsky.social, Lisa-Maria Muller, Yamina Bibi, and Sufian Sadiq as they explore joining the teaching profession and thriving in your early career.
Get support from your professional body as you begin this journey.https://chartered.pulse.ly/ix2bcvo1hg
Join Dame @alisonpeacock.bsky.social, Lisa-Maria Muller, Yamina Bibi, and Sufian Sadiq as they explore joining the teaching profession and thriving in your early career.
Get support from your professional body as you begin this journey.https://chartered.pulse.ly/ix2bcvo1hg
October 13, 2025 at 5:59 AM
Trainee teacher or ECT?
Join Dame @alisonpeacock.bsky.social, Lisa-Maria Muller, Yamina Bibi, and Sufian Sadiq as they explore joining the teaching profession and thriving in your early career.
Get support from your professional body as you begin this journey.https://chartered.pulse.ly/ix2bcvo1hg
Join Dame @alisonpeacock.bsky.social, Lisa-Maria Muller, Yamina Bibi, and Sufian Sadiq as they explore joining the teaching profession and thriving in your early career.
Get support from your professional body as you begin this journey.https://chartered.pulse.ly/ix2bcvo1hg
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
The 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry was awarded today for the development of metal-organic frameworks, molecular sponges with applications in gas storage, water purification and more: www.compoundchem.com/2025/10/08/2...
#ChemSky 🧪
#ChemSky 🧪
October 8, 2025 at 9:00 PM
The 2025 #NobelPrize in Chemistry was awarded today for the development of metal-organic frameworks, molecular sponges with applications in gas storage, water purification and more: www.compoundchem.com/2025/10/08/2...
#ChemSky 🧪
#ChemSky 🧪
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
@nimishlad.bsky.social book about Shimamura’s MARGE model of learning is perfect for busy teachers.
It explains the key ideas, illustrates how to apply them practically in the classroom and it’s short enough to read on a rainy day in October.
What’s not to love
It explains the key ideas, illustrates how to apply them practically in the classroom and it’s short enough to read on a rainy day in October.
What’s not to love
October 4, 2025 at 4:41 PM
@nimishlad.bsky.social book about Shimamura’s MARGE model of learning is perfect for busy teachers.
It explains the key ideas, illustrates how to apply them practically in the classroom and it’s short enough to read on a rainy day in October.
What’s not to love
It explains the key ideas, illustrates how to apply them practically in the classroom and it’s short enough to read on a rainy day in October.
What’s not to love
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
New chemistry on an alien world, set to rewrite textbooks. Cooler than clathrates! Great Collab with @starsarecalling.bsky.social and colleagues at NASA-JPL. #chemsky
rahmlab.com/2025/09/28/p...
rahmlab.com/2025/09/28/p...
Polar Opposites Attract on Titan
As a scientist, it is a good feeling to come across something that contradicts textbooks. Better still to contribute to a discovery that could help explain chemistry on a planetary ̵…
rahmlab.com
September 28, 2025 at 9:08 PM
New chemistry on an alien world, set to rewrite textbooks. Cooler than clathrates! Great Collab with @starsarecalling.bsky.social and colleagues at NASA-JPL. #chemsky
rahmlab.com/2025/09/28/p...
rahmlab.com/2025/09/28/p...
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Delighted to share @drkellyallen.bsky.social's paper reformulating the Integrative Framework of Belonging through interviews of other esteemed belonging researchers! This open-access paper does a deep dive on the theory––a must read for anyone using the framework!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
September 24, 2025 at 8:58 PM
Delighted to share @drkellyallen.bsky.social's paper reformulating the Integrative Framework of Belonging through interviews of other esteemed belonging researchers! This open-access paper does a deep dive on the theory––a must read for anyone using the framework!
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
link.springer.com/article/10.1...
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
This eBook will not extend into every detail of learning and cognition; instead, it does offer an introduction that every teacher can use as a starting point.
What’s a memorable ‘aha moment’ you’ve witnessed when a student truly grasped a concept?
Download this free eBook 👉 buff.ly/wy8dEyy
What’s a memorable ‘aha moment’ you’ve witnessed when a student truly grasped a concept?
Download this free eBook 👉 buff.ly/wy8dEyy
September 21, 2025 at 7:16 AM
This eBook will not extend into every detail of learning and cognition; instead, it does offer an introduction that every teacher can use as a starting point.
What’s a memorable ‘aha moment’ you’ve witnessed when a student truly grasped a concept?
Download this free eBook 👉 buff.ly/wy8dEyy
What’s a memorable ‘aha moment’ you’ve witnessed when a student truly grasped a concept?
Download this free eBook 👉 buff.ly/wy8dEyy
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Children's prior ideas about kinetic theory and particles. Absolute gold from Osborne and Freeman
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science 🧪
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science 🧪
September 20, 2025 at 7:32 PM
Children's prior ideas about kinetic theory and particles. Absolute gold from Osborne and Freeman
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science 🧪
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science 🧪
Great insights from @cmooreanderson.bsky.social. Identifying variables is something students find very challenging and will often learn by rote. This method would help understanding and I will definitely be trying it.
New post: Science students don't get experiment variables? Try causal diagrams instead. Link ↴
cmooreanderson.wixsite.com/teachingbiol...
#SciTeachUK #iTeachBio
cmooreanderson.wixsite.com/teachingbiol...
#SciTeachUK #iTeachBio
Science students don't get experiment variables? Try causal diagrams instead
In schools, it is common for students to be tasked with creating lists of variables with peculiar names: independent variable, dependent variable. Teachers often decry the failed efforts in helping st...
cmooreanderson.wixsite.com
September 7, 2025 at 1:15 PM
Great insights from @cmooreanderson.bsky.social. Identifying variables is something students find very challenging and will often learn by rote. This method would help understanding and I will definitely be trying it.
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Despite best intentions and significant investment, England’s SEND system is failing too many students and their families. To fix it, we need to understand why.
Mega-thread summary of my presentation at #FestivalOfEducation today:
↓
Mega-thread summary of my presentation at #FestivalOfEducation today:
↓
July 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM
Despite best intentions and significant investment, England’s SEND system is failing too many students and their families. To fix it, we need to understand why.
Mega-thread summary of my presentation at #FestivalOfEducation today:
↓
Mega-thread summary of my presentation at #FestivalOfEducation today:
↓
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Are ChatGPT and other AI tools going to lead to a ‘cognitive collapse’ in schools, colleges and elsewhere?
My new @smfthinktank.bsky.social report explores the research evidence on the risks posed by AI in our education system.
Read / download the report: bit.ly/4g7EKUR
My new @smfthinktank.bsky.social report explores the research evidence on the risks posed by AI in our education system.
Read / download the report: bit.ly/4g7EKUR
September 5, 2025 at 5:32 AM
Are ChatGPT and other AI tools going to lead to a ‘cognitive collapse’ in schools, colleges and elsewhere?
My new @smfthinktank.bsky.social report explores the research evidence on the risks posed by AI in our education system.
Read / download the report: bit.ly/4g7EKUR
My new @smfthinktank.bsky.social report explores the research evidence on the risks posed by AI in our education system.
Read / download the report: bit.ly/4g7EKUR
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Can you predict what happens to the current when battery resistance or wire #resistivity is changed? Explore the relationship between #voltage, #current, and #resistance in our #Circuit Construction Kit: DC. phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/circuit-construction-kit-dc/ #chatphysics #physics
August 11, 2025 at 10:40 PM
Can you predict what happens to the current when battery resistance or wire #resistivity is changed? Explore the relationship between #voltage, #current, and #resistance in our #Circuit Construction Kit: DC. phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/circuit-construction-kit-dc/ #chatphysics #physics
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
If you or anyone you know is new to teaching Physics, I highly recommend this amazing resource from Richard Brock. Links to hundreds of super useful stuff 🙂
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Physics PGCE Useful Links.docx
Physics PGCE Useful Links [If viewing in Word Online, use the to switch to for the best experience] Contents Resources sorted by topic Learning resources General collections of resources Simulati...
docs.google.com
August 9, 2025 at 5:12 PM
If you or anyone you know is new to teaching Physics, I highly recommend this amazing resource from Richard Brock. Links to hundreds of super useful stuff 🙂
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
#PhysicsEd
#iTeachPhysics
#Science
docs.google.com/document/d/1...
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
Not all wrong answers are equal. I used to think students just needed the right information to fix misconceptions but then I read the work of Michelene Chi🧵⬇️
August 4, 2025 at 9:42 AM
Not all wrong answers are equal. I used to think students just needed the right information to fix misconceptions but then I read the work of Michelene Chi🧵⬇️
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
My book summaries are now in one place! Yay! Together with the cogsci reading list of 63 books!
And which books, or series, would it be useful to do next?
itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
#iteachphysics
#cogscisci
And which books, or series, would it be useful to do next?
itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
#iteachphysics
#cogscisci
Cogsci Book Summaries
Here is a reading list of 65 books about cognitive science and its application to the classroom. 2. Here are my summaries of a selection of these books. For each book there is a pdf of my summary a…
itsalearningcurve.education
August 4, 2025 at 11:58 AM
My book summaries are now in one place! Yay! Together with the cogsci reading list of 63 books!
And which books, or series, would it be useful to do next?
itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
#iteachphysics
#cogscisci
And which books, or series, would it be useful to do next?
itsalearningcurve.education/cogsci-book-...
#iteachphysics
#cogscisci
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
This paper by Pietro Sarcassani is a nice illustration of the importance of subject knowledge to teacher effectiveness. In this study of Science teaching he finds that holding a subject degree in the relevant taught science (e.g. Biology, Physics...). sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
The effect of teacher subject-specific qualifications on student science achievement
I investigate the effect of teacher subject-specific qualifications on student science achievement using data from TIMSS 2015, a large-scale assessmen…
sciencedirect.com
July 29, 2025 at 3:32 PM
This paper by Pietro Sarcassani is a nice illustration of the importance of subject knowledge to teacher effectiveness. In this study of Science teaching he finds that holding a subject degree in the relevant taught science (e.g. Biology, Physics...). sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Useful modern context when teaching corrosion to at GCSE.
Did you know carbenes could completely cut corrosion on iron surfaces? They act as a "double-sided tape" of sorts to stick a polymer that protects the surface from rusting. My latest for @chemistryworld.com: www.chemistryworld.com/news/carbene... #ChemSky #chemistry 🧪 @angewandtechemie.bsky.social
Carbene coating completely cuts corrosion on iron surfaces
A 'molecular double-sided tape' protects iron from rusting with 99.6% efficiency
www.chemistryworld.com
July 28, 2025 at 9:01 PM
Useful modern context when teaching corrosion to at GCSE.
Come to Bluesky for the educational discourse, stay for the Mountstevens’ train journeys!
Two years ago we went interrailing and I bored Twitter with a thread of family ‘selfies’ at every station. We’re off again this year so it’s BlueSky’s turn (we’ve graduated from Playmobil to Lego alter egos). Started yesterday from Stevenage. Look away for next couple of weeks to avoid train spam!
July 25, 2025 at 12:42 PM
Come to Bluesky for the educational discourse, stay for the Mountstevens’ train journeys!
How the SCARF model helps us in the classroom: www.azimuth.org.uk/its-not-magi... I found this a novel and useful way to look at motivation and behaviour in the classroom.
July 22, 2025 at 1:09 PM
How the SCARF model helps us in the classroom: www.azimuth.org.uk/its-not-magi... I found this a novel and useful way to look at motivation and behaviour in the classroom.
Although originally written as advice for SLT, I found it useful when thinking about supporting trainees and ECTs. Activities such as identifying curriculum connections and misconceptions, creating exemplars and identifying potential pitfalls are all very useful activities.
**NEW BLOG POST**
Bit of a longer one!
Subject Knowledge, Pedagogy and Curriculum
saysmiss.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/s...
Bit of a longer one!
Subject Knowledge, Pedagogy and Curriculum
saysmiss.wordpress.com/2025/04/24/s...
Subject Knowledge, Pedagogy and Curriculum
As schools continue to navigate the complexity of curriculum development, much of the prevailing discourse still oscillates between the domains of subject knowledge and pedagogy, as though they exi…
saysmiss.wordpress.com
July 22, 2025 at 12:47 PM
Although originally written as advice for SLT, I found it useful when thinking about supporting trainees and ECTs. Activities such as identifying curriculum connections and misconceptions, creating exemplars and identifying potential pitfalls are all very useful activities.
How do you explain practice to your students? We know that retrieval practice makes students feel they are learning less than reading their notes. Analogies are a great way to overcome this barrier.
Analogies for Learning
An easy way to relate to students and start a discussion about using more advantageous learning strategies like retrieval practice and spaced practice.
theeffortfuleducator.com/2024/11/10/a...
An easy way to relate to students and start a discussion about using more advantageous learning strategies like retrieval practice and spaced practice.
theeffortfuleducator.com/2024/11/10/a...
Analogies for Learning - The Effortful Educator
An easy way to relate to students and start a discussion about using more advantageous learning strategies like retrieval practice and spaced practice.
theeffortfuleducator.com
July 22, 2025 at 12:30 PM
How do you explain practice to your students? We know that retrieval practice makes students feel they are learning less than reading their notes. Analogies are a great way to overcome this barrier.
This is a really useful collection of resources for anyone who wants to find out more about adaptive teaching. alexquigley.co.uk/the-adaptive... Thanks @alexjquigley.bsky.social!
The 'Adaptive Teaching' Collection
Adaptive teaching describes the moment-to-moment responsiveness that is orchestrated continuously in the classroom by expert teachers.
In the past few years, in England at least, its prominence has ...
alexquigley.co.uk
July 22, 2025 at 7:51 AM
This is a really useful collection of resources for anyone who wants to find out more about adaptive teaching. alexquigley.co.uk/the-adaptive... Thanks @alexjquigley.bsky.social!
Reposted by Elizabeth Mountstevens
New research from MIT found that those who used ChatGPT can’t remember any of the content of their essays.
Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn.
arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...
Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn.
arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...
June 18, 2025 at 7:32 AM
New research from MIT found that those who used ChatGPT can’t remember any of the content of their essays.
Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn.
arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...
Key takeaway: the product doesn’t suffer, but the process does. And when it comes to essays, the process *is* how they learn.
arxiv.org/pdf/2506.088...