Pedagogical Knowledge and the Changing Nature of the Teaching Profession - How Neuroscience is Changing Education
Event: INTED2023
Session time: Monday, 6th of March from 11:00 to 12:15 (UTC+01:00)
Session type: INTERACTIVE
Room: Interactive
Session chair: Tracey Tokuhama-Espinosa. Harvard University Extension School (UNITED STATES)

Despite great advances, there are still a great number of myths around the brain and how it learns. Misconceptions, overgeneralizations and a lack of information can do harm in the classroom, slow student learning, and reduce the likelihood of successful learning in our schools. The main objective of this workshop is to dispel these myths and replace them with high quality, evidence-based practice.

Do people really have learning styles? Is it impossible for an adult to learn a foreign language as fast as a child? Are there critical periods when a child should learn specific skills in school? Are some subjects harder to learn than others? Are girls’ and boys’ brains suited for different types of learning? Can a person really multi-task? The teaching-learning dynamic is surrounded by many myths, which will be discussed in a lively interactive session.

In 2016, 40 thought leaders from 11 different countries agreed on the six guiding Principles (things that are true for all brains), and 21 Tenets of Mind, Brain and Education science (things that are true, but with a huge range of human variability) (Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2017). This group also agreed, however, that there were more myths on the educational landscape than ever before. This was confirmed in a study in 2022 in Crossing Boundaries in Mind, Brain, and Education (Nouri, Tokuhama-Espinosa & Borja, 2022). Howard-Jones’ research (2014) shows that more than 50% of teachers around the world mistakenly believe in neuromyths which can potentially do harm in the classroom.

The evolving profile of the modern teacher is complex and requires new competencies, including the ability judge the quality of educational research in order to avoid the belief in neuromyths. This presentation will highlight 70+ myths on the educational landscape and guide participants in ways to avoid them and scrutinize the research.