Adolescence is a dynamic period of learning and adaptation. These skills are complex and they involve lots of different brain areas.

Brain regions involved in feeling emotion typically reach adult levels of development by adolescence while those involved with reasoning and planning are still maturing. Read more in the topic summary and get into conversation with this fortnight’s focused scientists:

• Speak to Rebecca about how social-emotional development affects learning.
• Ask Nicola about how teenagers with language difficulties such as Autism and ADHD access the curriculum.
• Talk to Lucia about the impact of puberty on learning.
• Chat with Kinga about the development of reasoning, decision making and risky behaviour.
• Quiz Iroise about interventions to improve cognitive control, with a view to improving children and adolescents’ success at school.

Ask Questions

Use ASK to post questions about to specific scientists at any time over the next fortnight. ASK about adolescence or anything else about the Science of Learning that is useful to you.

ASK is the perfect place to generate a longer discussion other teachers and professionals can join by leaving comments.

We’ve already had a number of adolescence questions, click here to read them and join the conversation.

Live chat

Join the live chats with about Adolescence and how children learn:

• Thursday 22nd February, 8-9pm
• Tuesday 27th February, 8-9pm.

Get the dates in your planner now, we’ll remind you before each chat.

A question for teachers

Researcher Liz Toomarian wants to know more about where teachers get research. Please let her know how you go about learning more about learning. Or is research too inaccessible?

Get more from the Learning Zone – your profile:

We need to gather evidence about whether the Learning Zone is meeting your needs. To help we’ve added a few questions on your profile page. Please log in, click on your name in the top right of the screen, then Edit My Profile and answer the questions. There will be more functionality coming soon to help you get more out of the Learning Zone based on your answers.

Don’t keep it all to yourself!

Please spread the word and invite colleagues in other departments who may be interested in the Adolescence topic or other areas in the Science of Learning.