How do learning theories impact pedagogical reforms?

Education systems worldwide are shaped by traditions, colonial legacies, cultural norms, and more that influence how knowledge is created and taught. Whether designed to reinforce national identity, drive economic development, or serve another purpose, education relies on learning theories and epistemological frameworks that shape how knowledge is valued and presented in classrooms. For pedagogical reforms to succeed, they must consider how these theories shape teachers’ beliefs, instructional practices, and classroom interactions. The SPARKS project examines these dynamics through a framework called invisible pedagogical mindsets (IPMs) to explore the impact of cultural contexts, local education ecosystems, and dominant learning theories on classroom practice.

On June 3, the Center for Universal Education at Brookings held a conversation featuring members of the SPARKS Research Policy Collaboratives in Egypt, India, and Mexico, who discussed the role of prevalent learning theories in enabling or hindering pedagogical reforms and how the prioritization of different types of knowledge affects teachers’ pedagogical approaches in the classroom. This is the third webinar in a three-part series that provides deep dives into the three different categories of IPMs and SPARKS research in Egypt, India, and Mexico.

Viewers submitted questions by emailing [email protected] and via X/Twitter @BrookingsGlobal using #SPARKSWebinarSeries.