Science for Education Today, 2021, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 125–150
UDC: 
378.046.4 + 612.64

Differences between concepts of brain development in modern neurobiology and teachers’ knowledge

Bezrukikh M. M. 1 (Moscow, Russian Federation), Ivanov V. V. 1 (Moscow, Russian Federation), Orlov K. V. 1 (Moscow, Russian Federation)
1 Federal State Budgetary Scientific Institution "Institute of Developmental Physiology of the Russian Academy of Education"
Abstract: 

Introduction. Recent education researches in different countries have shown that knowledge and ideas of teachers about the development and functioning of the brain do not correspond to or even contradict the recent data of neurobiology. These beliefs, called neuromyths, are the result of misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and misquoting of scientifically based facts about the development and functioning of the brain. The high prevalence of neuromyths accompanied by high interest in neurobiological researches and their potential application in education can be considered as risk factors involved with the development of learning theories and teaching methods. Moreover, neuromyths can lead to potential risks to children’s physical and mental health.
The purposes of this work are to assess the knowledge and perceptions of Russian teachers at different educational levels (from preschool to university-level), investigate prevalence and predictors of neuromyths among them, and to identify the ‘risk zone’ in their knowledge which requires critical evaluation.
Materials and Methods. This study is based on the questionnaire developed by P.A. Howard-Jones et al. to assess the level of neurobiological knowledge among teachers (modified by the authors of this article). The sample comprised 8455 teachers from 1539 educational institutions in 10 regions of the Russian Federation. The obtained data were processed by methods of mathematical statistics using correlation, variances and factor analysis.
Results. The study has found that teachers’ interest in neuroscience is combined with insufficient knowledge about brain development and a great number of false beliefs (neuromyths) about opportunities of applying neurobiological approaches to education. The research has revealed the most common neuromyths, which do not correlate with participants’ age, work experience and disciplines they teach. The analysis of the reasons for the emergence of false ideas about brain functioning is carried out. The correct interpretation of the present neurobiological knowledge in teaching is given. It has been shown that the prevalence of false knowledge in the neurobiological field does not differ significantly between countries. The misconceptions that underlie neuromyths often become the basis for remedial recommendations aimed at solving children’s developmental problems. Unfortunately, the recommendations based on neuromyths delay the time of effective support and can produce negative results. The quantitative and qualitative analyses of teachers’ knowledge and misconceptions about the brain development and functioning enabled the authors to identify a range of issues that require a critical assessment in terms of their usefulness before developing new educational approaches and teaching methods.
Conclusions. This interdisciplinary research found that teachers have insufficient, fragmentary and unsystematic knowledge in the field of neurobiology and demonstrate low awareness of recent scientific facts about brain development and cognitive activities regardless of work experience, age and specialization. Insufficient knowledge and false beliefs is the basis of trust in neuromyths and is the ‘risk zone’ for teaching activities because they both lead to incorrect and ineffective teaching practices. Moreover, neuromyths can become potential mental and physical health risks for children. The obtained data can be used in teacher education and professional development programmes.

Keywords: 

Teachers; Neurobiological knowledge; Brain development; Brain functioning; Misconceptions; Neuromyths; Prevalence; Negative consequences.

URL WoS/RSCI: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/rsci/full-record/RSCI:44849697

For citation:
Bezrukikh M. M., Ivanov V. V., Orlov K. V. Differences between concepts of brain development in modern neurobiology and teachers’ knowledge. Science for Education Today, 2021, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 125–150. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15293/2658-6762.2101.08
References: 
  1. Bazhanov V. A., Shkurko Y. S. Modern neuroscience and education: New arguments in favor of old techniques. Pedagogika, 2018, no. 8, pp. 29–38. URL: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=35654922
  2. An D., Carr M. Learning styles theory fails to explain learning and achievement: Recommendations for alternative approaches. Personality and Individual Differences, 2017, vol. 116, pp. 410–416. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2017.04.050
  3. Bruer J. T. Education and brain: A bridge too far. Educational Researcher, 1997, vol. 26 (8), pp.  4–16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X026008004
  4. Сhojak M., Neuropedagogy as a scientific discipline: Interdisciplinary description of the theoretical basis for the development of a research field. International Journal of Business, Human and Social Sciences, 2018, vol. 11 (8), pp. 1084–1087. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.1474341
  5. Dekker S., Lee N. C., Howard-Jones P. A., Jolles J. Neuromyths in education. Prevalence and predictors of misconceptions among teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 2012, vol. 3, pp. 429. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2012.00429
  6. Deligiannidi K., Howard-Jones P. A. The neuroscience literacy of teachers in Greece. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015, vol. 174, pp. 3909–3915. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.1133
  7. Dubinsky J. M., Roehrig G., Varma S. Infusing neuroscience into teacher professional development. Educational Researcher, 2013, vol. 42 (6), pp. 317–329. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X13499403
  8. Ferrero M., Garaizar P., Vadillo M. A. Neuromyths in education: Prevalence among Spanish teachers and an exploration of cross-cultural variation. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2016, vol. 10, pp. 496. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2016.00496
  9. Gardner H. “Neuromyths”: A critical consideration. Mind, Brain, and Education, 2020, vol. 14 (1), pp. 2–4. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12229
  10. Gleichgerrcht E., Lira Luttges B., Salvarezza F., Campos A. L. Educational neuromyths among teachers in Latin America. Mind, Brain, and Education, 2015, vol. 9 (3), pp. 170–178. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12086
  11. Grospietsch F., Mayer J. Misconceptions about neuroscience – prevalence and persistence of neuromyths in education. Neuroforum, 2020, vol. 26 (2), pp. 63–71. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/nf-2020-0006
  12. Grospietsch F., Mayer J. Professionalizing pre-service biology teachers’ misconceptions about learning and the brain through conceptual change. Education Sciences, 2018, vol. 8 (3), pp. 120–143. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci8030120
  13. Horvath J. C., Donoghue G. M., Horton A. J., Lodge J. M., Hattie J. A. C. On the irrelevance of neuromyths to teacher effectiveness: comparing neuro-literacy levels amongst award-winning and non-award winning teachers. Frontiers in Psychology, 2018, vol. 9, pp. 1666. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01666
  14. Howard-Jones P. A. Neuroscience and education: Myths and messages. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 2014, vol. 15 (12), pp. 817–824. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn3817
  15. Howard-Jones P. A., Fenton K. D. The need for interdisciplinary dialogue in developing ethical approaches to neuroeducational research. Neuroethics, 2012, vol. 5 (2), pp. 119–134. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12152-011-9101-0
  16. Iverson J. M. Developing language in developing body: The relationship between motor development and language development. Journal of Child Language, 2010, vol. 37 (2), pp. 229–261. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0305000909990432
  17. Im S., Cho J.-Y., Dubinsky J. M., Varma S. Taking an educational psychology course improves neuroscience literacy but does not reduce belief in neuromyths. PLoS One, 2018, vol. 13 (2), pp.  e0192163. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0192163
  18. Krammer G., Vogel S. E., Yardimci T., Grabner R. H. Neuromythen sind zu Beginn des Lehramtsstudiums pravalent und unabhangig vom Wissen uber das menschliche Gehirn. Zeitschrift für Bildungsforschung, 2019, vol. 9 (2), pp. 221–246. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s35834-019-00238-2
  19. Papadatou-Pastou M., Haliou E., Vlachos F. Brain knowledge and the prevalence of neuromyths among prospective teachers in Greece. Frontiers in Psychology, 2017, vol. 8, pp. 804.  DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00804 
  20. Pashler H., McDaniel M., Rohrer D., Bjork R. Learning styles concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest, 2008, vol. 9 (3), pp. 105–119. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1539-6053.2009.01038.x
  21. Pei X., Howard-Jones P. A., Zhang S., Liu X., Jin Y. Teachers’ understanding about the brain in East China. Procedia Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2015, vol. 174, pp. 3681–3688. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.01.1091 
  22. Rato J. R., Abreu A. M., Castro-Caldas A. Neuromyths in education: What is fact and what is fiction for Portuguese teachers? Educational Researcher, 2013, vol. 55 (4), pp. 441–453. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00131881.2013.844947
  23. Sala G., Gobet F. Cognitive and academic benefits of music training with children: A multilevel meta-analysis. Memory and Cognitions, 2020, vol. 48, pp. 1429–1441. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-020-01060-2 Preprint DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/7s8wr
  24. Tardif E., Doudin P.-A., Meylan N. Neuromyths among teachers and student teachers: Neuromyths. Mind, Brain, and Education, 2015, vol. 9 (1), pp. 50–59. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12070
  25. Venkatraman A., Edlow B. L., Immodrino-Yang M.-N. The brainstem in emotion: A review. Frontiers in Neuroanatomy, 2017, vol. 11, pp. 15. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnana.2017.00015
Date of the publication 28.02.2021