My friend Richard Clark from USC pointed me to a very interesting, but troubling, study recently published in Europe. It looks at teachers' misconceptions about learning statements that have been steeped in either neuroscience language or in “brain-based” language. Even teachers who are enthusiastic about neuroscience, and view themselves as reading popular science versions of neuroscience findings, turn out to believe a variety of “neuromyths” about learning – false statements about what works for learning, clothed in the language of scientific findings.
If we are to make progress with learning at all levels, we have to figure out how to help teachers – and most especially those who design instructional environments and materials – avoid falling prey to palatable but unproven assertions about how learning works.
