Each has pledged to repeat the scans every two years as they progress through elementary, middle, and high school, providing the largest brain development study ever carried out and enabling researchers to follow changes in the structure and functions of specific neural circuits and fully explore the diversity of paths that children’s brain development takes. Importantly, we will be able to explore the question of how all this rich diversity in brain development is linked to each child’s ongoing education through richly detailed assessments of their educational achievement, home and school environment, social media use, and involvement in arts and sports. Brain knowledge is brainpower; teaching students about their developing brain can support their academic and personal development by deepening their understanding of science and humanities, their mental capacity, and their self-identity. Educational neuroscience is a promising field in teaching students about their brains and teaching them in brain-friendly ways to support them in becoming lifelong learners. Human development is based on nature (genetics), nurture (physical and social environments), and their interactions (epigenetics) [12,13].
Furthermore, empirical studies in educational neuroscience are challenging and cumbersome due to the interdisciplinary nature of the field (education, psychology, and neuroscience); the need for repeated measures over time; and the young target population (school students), which imposes ethical restrictions on experimental designs. Finally, while still evolving as a research field, educational neuroscience is intriguing for many educational leaders who are enthusiastic about applying neuroscience in education practices. Unfortunately, the current gap between the high demand and limited supply may lead to misuse of neuroscience in pedagogy (e.g., neuromyths or the justification of educational methods based on limited to no evidence) [1]. The lack of concrete mechanisms bridging neuroscience and education has been a major contributor to this gap. In this paper, we have argued that school psychologists represent an untapped talent pool that can help fill this void. Educational and school psychologists possess the bilingual skills of understanding both basic neuroscience and education in addition to the psychological constructs relevant to both (Mason, 2009).
**Neuroscience and education** are two fields that have traditionally operated independently. However, recent advancements in technology and research have shown that there is a significant overlap between the two disciplines. By understanding how the brain learns and processes information, educators can better tailor their teaching methods to optimize student learning and achievement.
A control group scanned across weeks of “business as usual” education allowed researchers to make powerful claims about the extent to which this tutoring actually caused changes in the brain circuits. Such results are challenging and even changing our understanding of the term “learning disability.” These findings place increasing focus on how the right educational supports can lead to positive changes in both the mind and brain. As a consequence, there is no direct route from cognitive neuroscience to education, and cognitive neuroscience does not reveal what should be taught. Rather, it helps us to understand mechanisms that underlie teaching and learning, which then need to be translated via educational research in strategies and programs to optimize teaching and learning (Howard-Jones et al., 2016). This requires merging findings from cognitive neuroscience with educational theories and frameworks of instructional design (e.g., Van Merriënboer & Kirschner, 2007). This should result in novel educational approaches, the effects of which should be tested by means of rigorous educational research that ranges from small-scale interventions to larger randomized controlled trials (Sloane, 2008).
They compared the brain activity during reading in children with reading difficulties with and without a discrepancy with their IQ. Their findings revealed that the brain activity patterns in the two groups of children did not differ, which converges with the behavioral data that reading difficulties (and their neural correlates) are independent of IQ. These observations also validated the removal of the IQ-discrepancy criterion in the definition of specific learning disorders in the latest version of DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, American Psychiatric Association, 2013), a classification of mental disorders widely used by mental health providers.
Benefits of Integrating Neuroscience into Education
Katzir and Pareblagoev (2006) suggest the example of dyslexia research as a model of how this bidirectional collaboration might be achieved. In this case, theories of reading processes have guided both the design and interpretation of neuroscience research, but the existing theories were developed primarily from behavioural work. The authors suggest that the establishment of theories, which delineate required skills and subskills for educationally relevant tasks, is an essential requirement for educational neuroscience research to be productive. Furthermore, such theories need to suggest empirically testable connections between educationally relevant behaviours and brain function. Bruer contends that neuroscience in its current form has little to offer educators at the practical level.
One of the main benefits of incorporating **neuroscience** into **education** is the ability to personalize instruction for each student. By understanding how individual brains work, teachers can cater to different learning styles and preferences, leading to improved academic performance and engagement. Additionally, neuroscientific research can provide insights into how to effectively teach complex concepts and foster critical thinking skills in students.
They created the Brainwave Learning Center within the school, and their educational neuroscientists play an integral role in the day-to-day functioning (White, 2023). Director Lyn Toomarian notes that there “has always been this … separation between neuroscientists studying the way kids learn and the places where kids are actually learning….[but] we’ve been able to integrate the two” (White, 2023, p. 4). It is an excellent example of bringing neuroscience into the school and successful interdisciplinary collaboration.
Practical Applications in the Classroom
By this method, brain activity during a simple control task is subtracted from that of a ‘higher order’ cognitive task, thus leaving the activation that is related specifically to the function of interest. Katzir & Pareblagoev suggest that while this method may be very good for examining low level processing, such as perception, vision and touch, it is very hard to design an effective control task for higher order processing, such as comprehension in reading and inference making. Thus, some researchers[83][84] argue that functional imaging technologies may not be best suited for the measurement of higher order processing. Katzir & Pareblagoev, suggest that this may not be a deficit of the technology itself, but rather of the design of experiments and the ability to interpret the results.
There are several ways in which **neuroscience** can be applied in the classroom to enhance learning outcomes. For example:
- Utilizing brain-based teaching strategies to improve memory retention and comprehension
- Incorporating movement and physical activity to boost cognitive function and focus
- Implementing mindfulness practices to reduce stress and anxiety levels in students
FAQs about Neuroscience and Education
- How can neuroscience benefit educators?
- What are some practical ways to integrate neuroscience into teaching?
- Are there any potential drawbacks to using neuroscientific principles in education?
Overall, the integration of **neuroscience** into **education** has the potential to revolutionize the way we teach and learn. By leveraging insights from brain research, educators can create more effective and engaging learning environments that cater to the diverse needs of students.
