Why does the brain matter for education?

Abstract

The present special issue on mind, brain and education (educational neuroscience) contains four papers that employ a neuroscience-informed approach to educational phenomena, including dyslexia, academic self-concepts, bullying and the effect of mindset on learning. This commentary positions the papers with respect to the goals and methods of educational neuroscience, placing them on a continuum of approaches from basic research to applied intervention. We argue that a focus on the brain matters for teachers because it increases understanding of how learning works and the factors that influence learning outcomes and student well-being without being reductionist. Constraints on learning that arise from biology sometimes seem arbitrary outside a neuroscience framework (several examples are provided). A neuroscience perspective encourages a more holistic and developmental view of learning than a narrow cognitive (memory) oriented approach. Because educational neuroscience is an inherently translational field that relies on dialogues between researchers and practitioners, we argue it is important to understand how teachers view the field and how insights from the science of learning might usefully feed into their practice. We then assess the insights, strengths and limitations of the four papers, as well as the potential that their respective lines of work offer.