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This study adopts a qualitative phenomenological approach to explore the insights and lived experiences of primary school teachers concerning the cognitive load experienced by early-grade learners, particularly in the context of foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) instruction. Drawing on cognitive load theory and other developmental theories, the study explores teachers’ understanding of cognitive load, strategies they employ to manage it and challenges they face in aligning instruction with students' cognitive abilities. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with 21 primary school teachers from the Jammu division of North India, a region facing consistent FLN challenges. The study employed a narrative analysis technique to analyse the experiences of the respondents. The study findings highlight significant conceptual gaps in teachers’ understanding of cognitive load. Additionally, the study revealed that the strategies employed by teachers often conflict with the cognitive load principles, increasing extraneous load and constraining germane load. Besides, the study emphasises the need to equip teachers with knowledge of cognitive load principles.
Pandita et al. (Thu,) studied this question.