Teaching a tough subject from a perspective of psychology

Teaching a tough subject is never easy, particularly in the case of teaching statistics. Inspired by the psychological theories, we have proposed four unique teaching techniques, which can be incorporated into pedagogy to make tough subjects more vivid, interesting, and pleasant. These techniques are: i). cognitive reframing helps learners re-define and simplify the challenging themes and concepts; ii). classical conditioning guides students associate two or more stimuli of themes, enriching their learning journey; iii). positive reinforcement helps learners develop learning motivation, building up their confidence and interest in learning; and, finally, iv). awareness concentration helps students maintain adequate fitness level, which serves as an accelerator to speed up the cognitive operation in learning. The four techniques outlined above are feasible to implement, helpful, and fun.