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Brain Science: Teaching & Learning

Science of LearningAn emerging 'science of learning'

The relevance of neuroscience and psychology to education and its potential impact on pedagogy is increasingly being recognised by scientists, educationalists and policy makers. It is now clear that our thoughts, perceptions and actions mould the strength of connections between neurons in the brain, such that these physical connections come to represent our understanding and knowledge of the world around us - so called brain plasticity. Education, therefore, plays a crucial role in shaping the shifting balance of strengthening and weakening of connections in the brain. Indeed, it has been argued that teachers are the only professionals required to change brain connectivity in young people on a daily basis!

Bridging the gap between neuroscience, psychology and education

Despite the enthusiasm of many teachers to incorporate understandings on the nature of learning and education into their experience and expertise, to date we have seen very few of the insights from neuroscience and psychology research informing and supporting education practice in the class. However, there is a growing call to deliver cross-disciplinary initiatives that develop and assess teaching methods generated from translating the latest scientific research to classroom practices. Existing programmes that have combined scientific expertise with practical educational expertise are delivering pragmatic and novel improvements in pedagogy.

The resources on these pages contains information and documents drawn from the emerging 'Brain, Mind and Education' field, spanning from more scientifically focused resources on 'the learning brain' to educational research projects and relevant policy documents.

