En kritisk in- och utzoomning av ett samtida starkt hjärnintresse i utbildning

Abstract

The aim of this article is to contribute with a critical understanding of the popular brain interest in contemporary education. The study is framed by the theory of practice architectures in combination with the concept of recontextualization. As a first step, we zoom in on an ecology of municipal school practices and its elements of a brain interest. The empirical material for this step includes remedial action plans, interviews with teacher teams and student health teams, and self reports. Here, the neuromythical idea of learning styles constitutes one of the manifestations. The second step is built on a zooming-out process in order to trail actors who potentially nurture general and specific brain interests. The analysis shows that many actors are involved, among which we find teacher union journals, book publishers and so forth. The analysis also shows that these actors work in a harmonious interplay. Towards the end of the article we cast a critical eye on the interest and on this interplay.