Navigating conspiracies and misinformation in schools: eight areas for teachers and leaders to consider

The guide has been created based on the Centre’s learnings to date, through an ongoing review of global research currently unfolding in this area, as well as interviews with international experts.

It is designed to facilitate discussions within schools and provide teachers and leaders with suggestions for further reading. Further, in-depth resources are currently being created and are expected to be shared with schools later this year.

Pip Sanderson, Head of the Centre for Digital Information Literacy in Schools said:

"This guide is our first resource for the sector but it stands on the shoulders of giants. We have drawn on decades of interdisciplinary research from around the world, and our aim is to make that collective wisdom accessible and immediately helpful for teachers and leaders.

“Over the next 3 years we will be embedding high-quality training on misinformation and critical thinking into national and statutory programmes, from ITE and the Early Career Framework to NPQs. Every educator, at every stage, deserves the knowledge and tools to help young people become critical, resilient and informed participants in our democracy."

Read the full guide.

The eight key messages are:

1. Young people are vulnerable to real-world harms of conspiracy theories and misinformation; the ‘information age’ amplifies this vulnerability
2. Whether people believe conspiracies and misinformation isn’t the only thing that matters
3. Conspiracy theories and misinformation appeal to people’s core psychological needs
4. Everyday mental shortcuts and biases shape what we think is true
5. We’re better at catching misinformation when we can think slowly and carefully
6. To challenge misinformation effectively, you don’t have to be an expert
7. Listening and asking curious questions might be more powerful than offering answers
8. People can develop the skills to be more critical consumers of information (but there’s no magic bullet)

About the Centre for Digital Information Literacy in Schools (CDILS)

The Centre for Digital Information Literacy in Schools was launched in July 2025 by the National Institute of Teaching (NIoT), – supported by the Pears Foundation – in response to the growing challenge of online conspiracy, disinformation and misinformation in schools. The Centre will run a multi-year programme to equip educators, from trainee teachers to senior leaders and governors, with the knowledge, confidence, and tools to teach and lead effectively in an age of misinformation. This crucial work will embed critical thinking, psychological insight, and narrative resilience into teacher development at every level.

Get involved

We’re inviting colleagues to work with us, to test ideas, and to help us ask the right questions so that together we can build something that reflects real classroom experience and strengthens professional judgement across the system. Email us to register your interest, and help us ensure this work is grounded, practical, and genuinely useful to schools in navigating an increasingly complex information landscape.