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The lack of joined-up research on the benefits of joined-up handwriting has led to the tide turning against the cursive style, as the latest official literacy guidance attests. Kate Parker reports

Knowledge organisers can help to build subject familiarity but unless your students know the appropriate place to introduce the facts they have learned, such tools may be more of a hindrance than a help, says Alex Quigley

Confusion reins over the role of teaching assistants – but new research gives us the opportunity to get the best out of this valuable resource, writes Jon Severs

Despite there being plenty of research around how best to use teaching assistants to improve pupil outcomes, the message doesn’t seem to be getting through in schools, argues Rob Webster. However, a new study from his team is attempting to change that by offering a blueprint for what should – and should not – be in a TA’s job description

While teachers increasingly appreciate the importance of getting students to ‘think about thinking’ – and how to plan, monitor and evaluate their learning – children’s metacognitive skills are notoriously difficult to assess. But new research could change all that, finds John Morgan

While some are dismissive of certain types of education research owing to the methodology used, being open to a variety of approaches is more likely to yield positive results in the classroom, says Christian Bokhove

The updated Sutton Trust/EEF Teaching and Learning Toolkit offers a far wider array of insights into the different approaches schools can use to boost outcomes

Research showing how playing with dolls boosts social development gives us an insight into the value of play, writes Jon Severs

With Barbie selling out cinemas, dolls are back in the spotlight. But can playing with such toys help children’s development in the early years? Molly Bolding finds out

Giving students the flexibility to study how and what they want allows them to grow as people, not just as learners, writes Douglas Kidd

Helping pupils develop their language skills at an early age may prove pivotal in dealing with problematic behaviours later on – and may ultimately mean the difference between academic success and failure, finds Alex Quigley

After the rapid rise of cognitive science in recent years, you’d be hard-pushed to find a teacher who hasn’t yet bought into its evidence about the brain processes involved in learning. But now, a warning has been issued about educators applying ‘lethal mutations’ of the research in classrooms. So, could the cognitive science bandwagon be grinding to a halt, asks John Morgan