Is modern learning just one big misunderstanding?
As an education passionista and founder of a Learning platform, I could share dozens of must-read articles. But if I had to pick just one that captures it all – research, insights, humour, reality, and even a touch of drama – it would be Daniel T. Willingham’s piece in The New York Times: “There Are Better Ways to Study That Will Last You a Lifetime”.
One of the core issues? Teachers can’t teach learning strategies because, quite frankly, no one ever taught them either. (Case in point: yet another reason why enduri is so urgently needed!) And so, students are left to figure it out on their own – usually with a mix of trial, error, and last-minute cramming marathons.
Daniel T. Willingham’s New York Times Piece: What Makes It Stand Out
Willingham’s article has everything a brilliant piece on learning struggles needs—research-backed insights, a touch of humor, and a hefty dose of reality. But don’t just take my word for it—read it yourself! It made me laugh, reflect, and seriously question whether modern learning is just one big misunderstanding. Or, as a football coach might put it: ‘We had good tactics, but the problem was, we had no idea what we were doing.’
Before we dive in, let’s explore why this article stands out—and why mastering learning strategies is more important than ever.
“We had good tactics, but the problem is, we had no idea what we were doing.”
“Rethinking Learning: Insights from Daniel Willingham and How enduri Bridges the Gap”
The gap between theory and practical learning
Imagine a preschool teacher scolding a 4-year-old for not teaching himself the alphabet—ridiculous, right? As learning expert Daniel Willingham points out,“It’s not up to a 4-year-old to make sure he learns the alphabet. That’s the teacher’s job.”Yet by high school, students are expected to“ read difficult books independently, commit information to memory, schedule their work, cope with test anxiety and much more. ”In other words, as kids grow, they face a whole new subject that often isn’t formally taught: how to learn.
Willingham calls this the “second, unnoticed curriculum: learning how to learn independently,” and unfortunately, most students are left to figure it out on their own. In one survey, only about 20% of college students said they study the way they do “because a teacher… taught you to study that way.” Little wonder that “students don’t know much about how they learn.”
Why students struggle despite good intentions
This gap in effective learning strategies has real consequences. Many students develop inefficient study habits or hold misconceptions about what works. In this post, we’ll explore why common learning strategies often fail (as explained by Willingham), which techniques research shows are most effective, and how enduri helps educators, students, and parents put these strategies into practice. enduri’s mission is to offer knowledge to teachers, actionable learning insights to students, and support at all levels to make learning more efficient—ensuring no time is wasted on the journey to real understanding.
The Hidden Curriculum: Learning to Learn
Students Are Rarely Taught to Study
Teachers provide knowledge in the classroom, but learning how to learn is largely left for students to figure out on their own. By the time students reach middle or high school, there’s an assumption they know how to take notes, study for tests, and retain information—yet few have ever been taught those skills. Not surprisingly, research confirms what many teachers suspect: “Students don’t know much about how they learn.”
Without being taught how to learn, students can develop habits that feel productive but yield poor results. Important skills like how to review material, manage time, or self-test for understanding often fall through the cracks of the curriculum. This “learning to learn” truly is a hidden curriculum—and most students navigate it blindly. The result is a widespread gap in students’ learning skills that can leave them struggling unnecessarily.
The Cost of Not Teaching Study Skills
What’s the impact of this skills gap? Research shows that when students aren’t taught effective strategies, they commonly adopt poor ones—and often don’t realize their mistake. In one study, college students were presented with different learning scenarios and asked which approach would lead to better learning. Alarmingly, for four out of six scenarios, “most students actually thought the worse strategy was superior.” In the other scenarios, about half the students chose the less effective method over a better one.
This miscalibration is the direct cost of not teaching study skills. Students can spend hours dutifully studying in ways that don’t pay off, then feel baffled when their exam scores don’t reflect the effort. As Willingham notes, after years of schooling “you would think that… students would figure out which methods work and which don’t, ”but many don’t. They simply haven’t been shown what truly works. This leads to wasted time, frustration, and the false belief that doing well is just about “working harder” rather than working smarter.
Why Common Study Habits Fail
The Comfort Trap: Easy but Ineffective Methods
Students tend to choose study methods that feel productive in the moment. A classic example: re-reading notes or textbooks over and over. It gives a comforting sense of familiarity, but as Willingham explains, “students get studying wrong because they don’t assess whether a method works in the long run. Instead, they pay attention to whether the method is easy… and feels like it’s working while they’re doing it.”
The Illusion of Mastery
One big reason students stick to these comfy habits is the illusion of learning they create. When you re-read a chapter for the third time, bits of it start to look familiar. You can recite a definition or two, and you feel like you know the material better. But do you really? Familiarity can trick us into a false sense of security. “A strong feeling of familiarity leads people to judge that they know something,” Willingham warns—but “it’s not the kind of knowing that’s going to be expected in the classroom.”
How enduri Bridges the Learning Gap
Empowering Teachers with Proven Strategies
enduri provides teachers with clear, research-backed insights on how students learn best. This means:
- Access to tools that encourage students to experiment, practice, and ultimately master effective learning strategies.
- Practical guidance for teachers on how to introduce strategies, support students, and coach them through their individual learning journeys.
- Insights into students’ strengths, needs, and learning challenges, enabling teachers to provide early intervention.
Personalized Support for Every Student
For students, enduri acts like a personal study coach, offering:
- Customized learning strategies tailored to students’ needs and strengths.
- Self-reflection tools that encourage active discussion and adaptation of the learning process.
- Reminders and structured learning paths to prevent last-minute cramming.
The Future of Learning: No Time Wasted
The Urgent Need for Change: Start teaching learning strategies early!
The insights from Willingham show why some study habits fail and others succeed; enduri takes that knowledge and puts it into action in classrooms and homes. The result is an environment where no one is left floundering with ineffective methods or false confidence. Instead, every learner is supported by techniques and tools that truly work. With enduri’s help, teachers, students, and parents can finally be on the same page about how to learn best – and that means every bit of effort counts toward success.
Learning Isn’t About Tactics, It’s About Knowing How to Learn
Learning is not just challenging—it’s hard work for everyone involved, as Daniel Willingham highlights in his work. It takes more than just revision, repetition, feedback, and reflection; it also demands commitment and endurance from both students and teachers.
This is exactly why enduri exists – to bridge the gap between what we know about learning and how we apply it in education. In fact, “endurance” is built into its very name, because atenduri, we know that learning isn’t just a quick sprint—it’s a lifelong training camp. So let’s gear up and push limits. Let’s bring out the best in every learner, every strategy, and most of all—let’s make it damn fun! Let’s go: www.enduri.org
Sources:
Daniel T. Willingham’s piece in The New York Times: “There Are Better Ways to Study That Will Last You a Lifetime”.
