How to Study and Teaching How to Study

Key themes

The Necessity of Teaching Study Skills

This is the foundational argument of the book. McMurry vigorously asserts that effective study is not an innate ability but a set of learnable skills that must be explicitly taught by educators. He critiques the prevailing assumption that students will naturally acquire these skills, highlighting the detrimental impact of this oversight on learning outcomes.

Active Learning vs. Rote Memorization

McMurry champions active engagement with material over passive reception or mere memorization. He argues that true understanding and retention come from students actively processing, organizing, summarizing, and critically evaluating information, rather than simply committing facts to memory without comprehension.

Educational Reform and Progressive Pedagogy

The book is a product of and contributor to the early 20th-century progressive education movement. McMurry advocates for a shift away from traditional, rigid educational practices towards methods that are more student-centered, practical, and focused on developing lifelong learning skills. He aims to reform not just individual study habits but the entire approach to teaching and learning.

Worth discussing

How do McMurry's observations about ineffective study habits from the early 20th century still resonate with contemporary students and educational systems?