Film and television help learners understand complex subjects

The role of film and television in helping learners understand complex subjects

Research in cognitive science consistently shows that understanding is shaped not only by the quality of explanation but also by how information is represented. When learners are required to construct mental models of abstract systems from dense written text alone, intrinsic cognitive load increases. Cognitive load theory and multimedia learning research suggest that visual demonstration and narrated explanation can reduce this burden by making relationships explicit and observable. Rather than requiring learners to imagine processes internally, documentaries, animations and even drama help externalise structure, sequence and context, supporting more accurate conceptual understanding.

Visualisation, narrative explanation, and real-world illustration can play a critical role in helping students bridge the gap between abstract ideas and practical understanding. Film and television offer ways to see concepts in action, contextualise theory, and revisit challenging material at a pace that suits individual learners.

Knowing about this theoretical foundation and passionately believing in this potential ourselves, we wanted to gather recent and robust student voice data, which was missing from the debate. Our Teach Beyond Text research gathered 1,147 student responses across schools, Further Education colleges and Higher Education institutions to provide that perspective. The findings reveal that students find film and television extremely impactful in this area.

What does our data say?

Students consistently reported that film and television enhanced their subject understanding

One of the clearest findings to emerge from our research is the role that film and television play in supporting students to understand ideas and concepts from the course subject.

• Across all educational settings, 80% of students agree or strongly agree that access to film and television helps them to understand their course subject.
• 74% of Further College and 70% of school students agree. This rises to 85% of Higher Education students.

While the overall benefits are clear, the data becomes even more revealing when access is taken into account. Film and television do not enhance understanding uniformly; their impact is closely tied to whether students can rely on consistent, high-quality access. When we examine high-access and low-access environments, the divergence becomes stark.

Among Further Education college students in high-access settings, 78% strongly agree, dropping to 37% in low-access settings. This 41-percentage-point difference is one of the most substantial gaps in the entire dataset. It suggests that provision is not peripheral. It is structurally linked to students’ perceived comprehension.

Of the 1,147 responses, 939 students left qualitative commentary to add nuance to how access to film and television has helped them; 251 of these came from neurodivergent learners.
Students in high-access environments frequently describe being able to “see it in action” and “understand it properly”. In contrast, learners in low-access settings are more likely to describe struggling with abstract descriptions. The difference is not simply about enjoyment; it is about whether learners feel able to construct an accurate understanding.
A university student wrote, “It helped me understand the concept more deeply.” Another commented that certain ideas would “take a lot longer to describe in words”. A school student described visual learning as something that “makes understanding much clearer for me”. These reflections point not to entertainment value, but to cognitive clarity.

Many students explicitly refer to the difference between reading about a process and seeing it unfold. A college learner studying mechanics explained that watching demonstrations helped them grasp the “electrical engineering and mechanical sections” more effectively than text alone. A law student noted that it was easier to understand legal principles when watching a show about police powers because they could “see how officers work”. Another commented that when learning about crime scenes, “it was much easier to understand when watching a show about it”.

In biology and medical topics, students describe film and television as helping them “visualise what things actually look like”. Rather than attempting to mentally construct anatomical or procedural systems from description alone, learners are able to anchor understanding to visible examples. This aligns closely with research suggesting that conceptual accuracy improves when learners can observe systems in motion rather than infer them from abstract explanations.

Impact for neurodivergent learners

Across our dataset more broadly, learner benefits were felt more strongly by neurodivergent learners, and this was no exception. Neurodivergent learners show consistently strong positive responses, with 84% of neurodivergent learners agreeing or strongly agreeing that film and television help them understand their subject, compared with 79% of neurotypical learners.

Neurodivergent learners echoed similar qualitative comments but often mentioned explicit abilities to process the information better and not feeling overwhelmed. One university student wrote, “Seeing things happen makes concepts clearer and easier to process”. Another explained that watching programmes helped them “actually understand what’s being taught”, particularly when long written passages felt overwhelming. These comments reflect the broader research base showing that visual and auditory reinforcement reduces cognitive load and supports schema formation.

What does this mean for the sector?

These findings challenge the notion that film and television resources are optional or supplementary for course subjects. They also challenge the prevailing focus on the adoption of these resources in media, film and similar subjects. Many student respondents were studying subjects you wouldn’t traditionally associate with embedded broadcast content, from law, medicine, biology, engineering and mechanics to vocational subjects like policing and health and social care.

Teach Beyond Text points to access as a foundational issue. When students can reliably draw on film and television as part of their learning, they are better equipped to grasp complex ideas, connect theory to practice, and build confidence in their understanding. When access is inconsistent or absent, the learning experience becomes more fragile, particularly for those who already face barriers related to prior attainment, confidence, or neurodiversity.

Ultimately, the data shows that film and television play a crucial role in helping students understand complex concepts. Their value is felt across all educational settings, but their impact is greatest where learning challenges are most acute. Reliable access reshapes how students experience comprehension.

By investing in high-quality, licensed broadcast content resources and embedding them meaningfully within teaching across all course subjects, institutions can support deeper understanding, reduce inequality, and create learning environments in which more students can succeed.

What next?  

Access the findings  

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing more of our research findings, but you can access either the entire report or our handy summary.   

Join the debate  

We will be exploring and discussing the findings on our LinkedIn, so follow us there. We will also be hosting a series of live debates to continue the conversation. If you’d like to join a panel, message us on LinkedIn and tell us a bit about yourself and what perspective you bring to the table.

Learn more about how to teach beyond text  

Alongside this, we’re committed to supporting change in teaching practice through free modules in our new Teach Beyond Text course. You can learn more about this and enrol on these modules for free.  

Access 4 million film, TV and radio programmes for use in teaching  

And don’t forget, our Box of Broadcasts (BoB) streaming platform gives you access to over 4 million films, documentaries, television and radio programmes with features like clipping and playlists, making it easier than ever to teach beyond text. Get in touch for a free trial below.