Understanding How Students Learn

A Guide for Instructional Leaders

Leaders cannot influence the quality of teaching unless they understand how to recognize really good teaching. The most significant challenge faced by most teachers is how best to facilitate the learning of students who fall behind. In order to move teaching to more effective strategies, leaders must learn how to explain how and why learner centered teaching will enhance the achievement of all students.

This essential resource covers three core areas:

1) Understanding Recent Research on Learning;

2) Identifying the Characteristics of Effective Teaching, and

3) Overcoming Barriers to the Implementation of Learner Centered Teaching.

Murphy and Alexander's book introduces readers to the research on learning and helps them develop an understanding of how different approaches to instruction are informed by research.

This will be the textbook for the first course in the Leadership for Learning curriculum, Facilitating Effective Learning for All Students. The Leadership for Learning curriculum is a joint venture between AASA and Canter/Sylvan Learning to create a new educational administration program that will be available on-line and at universities, including Vanderbilt.