The coverage of distributed practice and retrieval practice in Flemish and Dutch teacher education textbooks

Abstract

To determine if and how teachers are being educated about effective learning strategies we analysed the topical coverage of two highly effective strategies, distributed practice and retrieval practice, in introductory teacher education textbooks and syllabi. We examined 61 textbooks used in Flemish and Dutch teacher education programmes (TEPs) by inventorying descriptive and prescriptive information on these strategies therein. Also, we analysed whether the coverage referred to actual research. The results indicated that mostly textbooks fail to fully represent the strategies. Accurate textbooks are used in a minority of TEPs. Implications and challenges for authors, TEPs and policy-makers are discussed.