Evidence-based teaching strategies that make a big difference in 2026

Small, evidence-based teaching adjustments can meaningfully improve student learning—without increasing your workload.

In a profession where expectations rarely ease, progress often comes from refining what’s already happening in the classroom. When small changes are made intentionally and consistently, they can compound over time in everyone's favour.

A clearer set of instructions can reduce confusion before it begins. A quick check for understanding can prevent misconceptions from taking root. A tweak to pacing can give students the processing time they need. On their own, these shifts may feel subtle. Together, they can make lessons clearer, calmer, and more effective.

This approach is sometimes described as marginal gains: small, evidence-based improvements that build on what’s already happening in your classroom.

These low-effort high-impact teaching strategies below draw on research and focus on practical refinements that support student understanding—while respecting your time, energy, and professional judgement.

Why small changes work (and big overhauls don’t)

When your schedule is already full, even well-intentioned changes can become unsustainable if they demand more time than you have. That’s why small changes tend to work where big overhauls don’t. Adjustments that fit into what you’re already doing are far more likely to stick. 

As creatures of habit, small, consistent actions are easier to maintain over time than large transformations. When changes feel manageable, they’re more likely to become part of everyday teaching.  

This approach aligns closely with cognitive load theory, which recognises that both students and teachers have limits on how much new information they can process at once. 

When small, evidence-based tweaks are applied consistently, their effects compound—improving clarity, engagement, and learning outcomes over time. 

As Sarah Zaferi, a former teacher and edtech specialist who consults with teachers across Australia, shares, 

‍We often get into the trap of starting from scratch or overhauling everything we are currently doing in pursuit of the next big idea. I want to challenge that and suggest that teachers look for very small opportunities to weave in evidence-based practices into what they are already doing. If we take a moment to look at what’s already happening in classrooms, you might be surprised by just how many amazing things teachers are already doing.

5 low-lift, evidence-informed tweaks you can make tomorrow

Small shifts, applied consistently, can reshape how learning feels in your classroom. These five changes strengthen the types of teaching strategies you’re already using and deepen their impact on students.

Extend wait time after questions 

(extend from 1 to 3-5 seconds – retrieval practice)

Have you ever asked a question and felt that instinct to step back in when the room goes quiet? In a full lesson, with time pressure and a lot to cover, waiting can feel like you’re losing momentum.

As Sarah shares, 

‍As educators, we can feel that sometimes we’re going too slow or we don’t have enough information packed into a lesson. But actually slowing the pace down and giving students not only time to understand content but then to apply it allows them to achieve mastery before moving on.

How does this help?

• Extending wait time before jumping in (even by just a few seconds) gives students the space to think, retrieve information, and form a response. The result is often more thoughtful answers and wider participation.

• It also provides valuable information. You can see who’s processing, who’s hesitating, and who might need support. That thinking time builds independence and confidence, and helps more students feel ready to contribute.

Use exit tickets to check for understanding 

(formative assessment, closes learning loop)

Lessons move quickly, and students are constantly absorbing new information. Exit tickets create a short, purposeful moment at the end of a lesson to pause and reflect on learning.  

Ask students to complete a quick task or question that shows what they’ve understood. That small act takes key ideas back to mind and strengthens memory over time. Learning rarely sticks after just one exposure. 

As Sarah shares, 

‍Students need multiple exposures to content and skills before they can truly understand and apply their new thinking.”

Exit tickets don’t need to be complicated, and simple prompts often work best:

1. Which key idea from today’s lesson stood out to you?
2. What is one thing you’re still unsure about?
3. Complete a short quiz
4. Summarise today’s lesson in one sentence 

For teachers, exit tickets provide immediate, practical insight. You can see what’s been grasped, where understanding is still forming, and what might need revisiting—informing next-day planning that ensures learning keeps moving forward. You can access ready-to-use entry and exit tickets here. 

Be strategic with students’ assigned seating 

(peer learning, classroom culture)

Thoughtful seating plans can turn the classroom environment into a quiet support for learning—helping guide attention and interaction without you needing to manage every moment. 

There isn’t one seating arrangement that works for every class—different teachers may take very different approaches, depending on their students. In fact, class dynamics shift, energy changes, and what worked last term might not work this term. 

Ultimately, seating decisions come down to your professional judgement. But when something feels slightly off, even small adjustments can shift the feel and flow of a lesson for both teachers and students.

Your best approach may be to trial different strategies:

• Assigned seating may support lowering disruptive behaviour  
• Moving students who need more support closer to the front may also increase engagement
• While some teachers adjust seating depending on the day—whether the aim is strong whole-class discussion, small-group collaboration, or focused independent work.

Seating is one of the most flexible tools you have. It’s something you can change, tweak, and revisit as often as needed.

Strip lessons back to what matters most

(cognitive load, clarity, attention)

Stripping lessons back to what matters most showcases what students need to focus on right now, and gives that learning space to land.

Cognitive load theory reminds us that we can only process a limited amount of new information at once. When too many ideas or instructions compete for attention, even strong lessons can become harder to follow. Narrowing the focus helps students direct their attention where it counts.

One practical way this shows up is through explicit teaching. As Sarah suggests,

“Verbalise learning intentions to students before starting an activity.”

What might streamlining lessons look like?

• Limiting what’s on the screen
• Chunking content into clear sections
• Concentrating on 1-2 key ideas rather than covering everything at once 
• Starting with a clear syllabus focus and ending with a short recap can reinforce what’s essential

This kind of clarity supports students—and can support you, too. With fewer competing demands, there’s often less re-explaining and more time for learning.

Use short activities to support practice and feedback 

(active learning, retrieval, participation)

Short activities give students regular opportunities to practise what they’ve learned and check their understanding in real time. 

When quizzes or short tasks are used throughout a lesson, students can see how they’re progressing as they’re being taught. These check-ins create repeated exposure to content from previous weeks, terms, or years, rather than relying on a single explanation to do all the work. 

As Sarah shares, 

‍I leaned on platforms like Atomi to provide students with multiple opportunities to practice the skills they learn in class and receive real-time feedback on their progress… This, coupled with the AI-powered quiz tool, means that students are receiving targeted, specific intervention when they need it.

One teacher can’t give personalised feedback to every student in every lesson—no matter how experienced they are. Short activities, supported by the right tools, help share that responsibility. 

Atomi uses artificial intelligence to deliver instant, individual feedback, providing students with an immediate picture of how they’re tracking and making targeted support far easier to implement.

Making it stick

Even the best ideas can be hard to sustain across a busy term. Some weeks flow, others don’t—and we all know that’s just part of teaching. 

Choose changes that feel realistic within your day, and allow room to adjust when things don’t go to plan. If something drops off, you can always pick it up again.

To help new practices settle:

• Choose one change to trial, rather than several at once
• Give it 2–4 weeks to see how it feels
• Notice the impact on student learning—and your own workload
• Build from there, only when it feels manageable

Small really is enough. Sustainable changes are far more likely to become part of everyday teaching, supporting both your students and your capacity over time.

For more effective teaching strategies, explore another Atomi blog. You can also download Atomi’s free HITS guidebook for clear, classroom-ready support.

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