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Clear Thinking Classrooms (cognitive load theory)

Cognitive Load Theory helps us design lessons that work with, not against, the brain’s limits, making learning clearer and more engaging for students. By reducing unnecessary mental load, we can improve focus, boost participation, and prevent behaviour is

Project Outline and Aims

Teaching and Learning Inquiry Project: Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) for Student Engagement and Behaviour Management

Introductory Session Overview 

1. Purpose of the Session 

  • Introduce the professional inquiry focus: improving classroom practice through evidence-informed frameworks.

  • State your inquiry topic: Applying Cognitive Load Theory to improve student engagement and behaviour management.

  • Emphasise the relevance: increasing cognitive engagement often leads to fewer behavioural disruptions and stronger learning outcomes.

2. What is Cognitive Load Theory? 

  • Brief definition: CLT is a research-based framework that explains how working memory limitations impact learning.

  • Types of cognitive load:

    • Intrinsic Load: the complexity of the material.

    • Extraneous Load: how information is presented.

    • Germane Load: mental effort devoted to processing and understanding.

  • Goal: reduce extraneous load and optimise germane load to enhance learning and attention.

3. Why CLT Matters for Engagement and Behaviour 

  • Overload = disengagement, frustration, off-task behaviour.

  • Well-designed instruction = clarity, focus, confidence = fewer disruptions.

  • Link between behavioural incidents and task design (e.g., unclear instructions, lack of scaffolding).

  • Examples:

    • Reducing instructions to single-step tasks.

    • Using worked examples.

    • Scaffolding note-taking.

    • Avoiding split attention.

4. Practical Strategies for the Classroom 

  • Dual coding (text + visuals).

  • Chunking information.

  • Pre-teaching key vocabulary.

  • Reducing cognitive noise (layout, formatting, instructions).

  • Building automaticity in foundational skills.

5. Next Steps in Inquiry 

  • Invite staff to consider how CLT could improve student focus, task completion, and self-regulation in their own contexts.

  • Introduce the inquiry question and criteria below.

Proposed Inquiry Question

"How can the application of Cognitive Load Theory in lesson design and delivery enhance student engagement and reduce off-task behaviour in the classroom?"

Success Criteria / Intended Outcomes

Focus Area Success Criteria
Student Engagement • Increase in on-task behaviour and time-on-learning during lessons.
  • Improved student confidence and task initiation.
Behaviour Management • Decrease in low-level disruption or passive disengagement.
  • Fewer instances of confusion or task avoidance due to cognitive overload.
Teaching Practice • Demonstrated use of CLT-informed strategies (e.g. chunking, worked examples).
  • Clear, concise instructions with reduced extraneous load.
Teacher Reflection • Teacher self-reports increased clarity in lesson planning and improved flow.
  • Identification of which CLT strategies had the most impact in their setting.