Can retrieval practice really make a difference to long-term learning in the primary classroom?
Research time and time again suggests that retrieval practice, or low-stakes testing, is one of the most effective ways to improve long-term retention of knowledge in the classroom…
Separating retrieval practice research into a useable database
However, most studies that I have read often derive from laboratories rather than classrooms, and in high schools in colleges, rather than in primary classrooms.
As a result, I have been building this retrieval practice database to distinguish different retrieval practice research that I am reading in order to learn what works best in a primary context…
Retrieval practice, also known as the “testing effect,” involves students recalling information they have already learned. Instead of passively experiencing the content, students are reuired to actively retrieve it from memory. Studies show that retrieval significantly improves long-term retention compared to simply restudying material.
Primary retrieval research is thin on the ground!
Classroom research reviewed in this paper (Moreira et al., 2019) supports retrieval practice across different age groups, from primary school children to university students.
The methodology used was to search databases for keywords or titles containing the terms “testing effect,” “test-enhanced learning,” “retrieval practice,” “applied,” and “classroom.”
The researchers found 67 articles and fully examined them to select 23 articles that included experiments conducted in actual classrooms.
The number of studies that included students up to 5th grade (10-11 year olds) were only three! I continue in my search to find examples of retrieval in primary classroom, and explicit, practical techniques.
Searching for high-impact solutions
Teachers often look for ways to boost their students’ ability to remember and apply what they learn. Retrieval forces the brain to work harder, creating stronger memory connections. However, to understand its full impact, we must ensure it is tested against a variety of classroom strategies to confirm its reliability and efficacy. Surely, classroom based research in primary classrooms would be in abundance?
Encouragingly, increasing evidence shows retrieval practice consistently benefits long-term retention, even in the absence of feedback! However, how do we source this evidence from primary classrooms?
How to implement retrieval practice?
Incorporating retrieval practice into the classroom is straightforward.
- Teachers should start by embedding low-stakes quizzes throughout the lesson.
- This can be done verbally, on paper, or digitally.
- Encourage students to test themselves at regular intervals and across different subjects.
- Feedback, while beneficial, isn’t always necessary, but when provided, it helps to consolidate learning.
- Interestingly, in my feedback research, no matter what type of feedback or how you provide it to students, they do not perceive you have given them any feedback, unless you explain to them what to do next.
To further strengthen retention, schedule spaced retrieval sessions where students attempt to recall content after a gap of a few days or weeks is very beneficial – see interleaving practice – with scaffolded resources to show students what to do next.
Reflection questions for teachers:
- How often do you integrate retrieval practice into your lessons?
- Are you using a mix of test types, like multiple-choice and free-recall?
- How might retrieval practice improve SEND outcomes?
- Do you provide enough feedback, or could you improve its delivery?
- How can you balance retrieval practice with discussion-based activities?
- Are you using retrieval practice early enough in the learning process, or only during revision?
- What low-stakes testing tools can you introduce across different (primary) subjects?
- Could retrieval practice replace less effective strategies like rereading or copying notes?
- What professional development might help you become confident in applying retrieval practice?
- How can retrieval practice fit into both formative and summative assessments?
The research concludes:
… the testing effects can be in general successfully reproduced in classroom settings, with typical classroom materials. The reviewed studies show that retrieval practice in the form of multiple-choice and fill-in-the-gaps tests are a promising learning strategy to be used in classroom settings.
Download and read the full paper.
