Discover What Pedagogical Neuroscience Is

Children who are bored, children with dyslexia, children with dyscalculia, children with attention problems… Today children have a great need for education. Unfortunately, most schools follow similar and very limited approaches. Educational neuroscience can help in this regard.

Neuromarketing, neuroscience about happiness, neuroscience about creativity, pedagogical neuroscience… neuroscience is everywhere today. It is part of a quest for deeper knowledge about ourselves to learn more about how we think, feel, learn and make decisions.

These new findings go beyond the knowledge we have had so far. By diving deeper into the very fibers of our brain and the processes that make it work, we learn all sorts of things, including the fact that not all children learn at the same speed. Some children develop certain structures later, which leads to school-related problems.

You can not force a child to learn something if they are not ready for it. This pressure only leads to frustration, fear and avoidance.

Pedagogical neuroscience: A new pedagogical model

The scientific world is making some amazing discoveries about learning and memory that have not yet gotten into the school curriculum. There is a clear connection between what neuroscience says about the development of children and young people, and what we see in the classrooms.

We still focus on the idea that all children need to have the same skill levels in the same subjects. We do not move beyond our traditional methods: pointing out mistakes and picking out children who end up in the back, get lost, have problems with math, have problems reading because the letters move around in front of their eyes, and so on.

All our abilities as human beings, including the ability to learn, are not innate. Attitude has nothing to do with this. Our brain makes it possible. So if we understood how the brain works, we would be able to structure classes, including both daily curricula and overall teaching goals.

What is the goal of pedagogical neuroscience?

Traditional education has many limitations. Although there are good teachers out there, something else is missing. The world of education needs a stronger scientific basis and an understanding of cognitive development. The goal of pedagogical neuroscience is just that: To integrate science into learning.

This means including the latest findings in neuroscience and cognitive science in order to achieve a more logical, inclusive and effective form of education.

But we must also destroy some myths about education, such as those that say we use only 10% of our brain, or that one half of our brain is artistic, while the other is mathematical.

How do we use pedagogical neuroscience in the classroom?

Although there are many things that have not yet been discovered, we have come a long way. Education policy is beginning to change. We also see some changes in models for special education.

The overall outlook looks positive, but we still need to see much more social change, especially when it comes to education policy.

Below you can discover how pedagogical neuroscience helps in the classroom:

Better identification of individual needs

It is important to be able to identify children with learning disabilities, dyslexia or extremely high mental abilities early. In this way, we can develop a personal learning strategy for them and help them learn to the best of their ability.

Positive and stimulating educational environments

Children need positive and stimulating environments to learn. It means having teachers who know how to change things and make a real effort to give students new challenges, all with a high academic standard.

Learning as a group

Children spend less time remembering information when working in small groups. Groups make learning more dynamic for them and make all the new information feel more important. In addition, it is a great way to encourage cooperation and respect for classmates.

Tell students about pedagogical neuroscience

Children should also understand how they learn. Neuroscientists say that it is actually extremely beneficial for children to learn about executive functions. It means teaching them about things like how attention works and how to know when they are angry, sad, tired, etc.

It is also important for them to learn to deal with their emotions, as it will promote self-control and help them to have better contact with the school’s tasks.

Cognitive guidance and personal education

This is one of the most complicated parts of pedagogical neuroscience, and we need trained teachers for that. Teachers must be able to understand which learning path is best for each individual student.

They must also know how the students are doing when it comes to attention, remembering information, problem solving, motivation and creativity. This is the only way they can come up with effective strategies for each student to reach their potential.

Change of school time

According to pedagogical neuroscience, we must change school time. Some studies have shown that it would be best if children go to school all year round, with shorter summer holidays, but more frequent breaks (for example, a week-long holiday every three weeks).

Pedagogical neuroscience also says that we need to change the school hours for junior high and high school, so that the lessons start around 10.30 to 11 in the morning.

As we learn more about our brains and our learning processes, we need to make sure that these findings make their way into the classroom. We simply cannot hold on to the past, with all the outdated techniques and strategies that only lead to frustrated, unmotivated students and worried parents.

We must be bold and innovative and learn in a way that is consistent with children’s brain development. This is the only way for us to help children reach their true potential and to get students really invested in their own learning.