Benjamin Pacini (BYU Idaho), 10 Books for the Evidence-Based Professor (February 25, 2026)

. . . I think that you can read just 10 books about teaching—and if they are the right 10 books and you read them deeply, and you deliberately apply a little of what you learn—I am willing to guarantee that you will improve meaningfully in your practice. What’s more, you will be able to converse in the circles of experts with enough of a foundation to rigorously discuss the best ideas. You don’t need to know everything; you just need a shared vocabulary. Reading alone may not improve teaching, but reading is so very often the first step toward the best, biggest kinds of changes.

But where to start?

. . . I spent last summer on a reading tour of evidence-based teaching at the college level. What follows is a starter kit: 10 books I found especially helpful for anyone new to the scholarship of teaching and learning and eager to improve their teaching practice. The list is subjective, of course—some worthwhile books didn’t make the cut and I haven’t yet read many others. (If you have titles for your own starter set, I’d love to hear them!)

What the Best College Teachers Do, by Ken Bain (Harvard University Press, 2004) is #10. It was the predecessor to and inspiration for my book, with Sophie Sparrow (New Hampshire) and Gerry Hess (Gonzaga). Here is one more that I am particularly excited to read: The Science of Learning: 99 Studies That Every Teacher Needs to Know, by Edward Watson and Bradley Busch (Routledge, second edition 2021).