Cognitive Neuroscience: Implications for education?

Abstract

Research into the functioning of the human brain, particularly during the past decade, has greatly enhanced our understanding of cognitive behaviours which are fundamental to education: learning, memory, intelligence, emotion. Here, we argue the case that research findings from cognitive neuroscience hold implications for educational practice. In doing so we advance a bio-psycho-social position that welcomes multi-disciplinary perspectives on current educational challenges. We provide some examples of research implications which support conventional pedagogic wisdom, and others which are novel and perhaps counter-intuitive. As an example, we take a model of adaptive plasticity that relies on stimulus reinforcement and examine possible implications for pedagogy and curriculum depth. In doing so, we reject some popular but over-simplistic applications of neuroscience to education. In sum, the education profession could benefit from embracing rather than ignoring cognitive neuroscience. Moreover, educationists should be actively contributing to the research agenda of future brain research.