Brain Science: A Missing Link in Education
How many of us have gone through years of training to become a teacher or school leader, without ever learning about how our brains actually learn?
This question has baffled me for over 20 years. Since I was first becoming certified to teach elementary students, while at the same time taking courses in cognitive neuroscience and social psychology, I wondered why these worlds are so separate? Shouldn’t teachers be experts in the science of how our brains learn and remember, so that we can create optimal learning experiences for our students?
One of our PLP partners Dr. Dennis H. Best Assistant Superintendent for Schools & Student Services at Centennial School District in Warminster, PA, describes this best.
Dr. Best says that an educator not having a foundation in understanding the brain is akin to a car mechanic without knowledge of how an engine functions. He feels that every educator and administrator needs to know what’s going on “under the hood” for students, in order to be successful in teaching and learning.
What are some key ideas about the brain that can help us become better at designing impactful learning experiences for students?
There are countless findings from research in neuroscience, cognitive science, educational psychology, and related areas that help inform effective teaching and learning. In our work at PLP, we collaborate with schools and district partners to transform learning and leadership by leveraging key ideas from brain science that allow both students and adults to thrive. We want teachers and administrators (and even students and parents) to have those “a-ha” moments that allow them to see what current science shows is ultimately most important for authentic success and fulfillment in schools.
Let's start with two important ideas about the brain that can guide us on what science shows really matters in our work as educators, through the lenses of both learning and leadership.
Idea #1: Safety takes priority.
The human brain is designed to protect us from harm. Whether those threats are physical, social, or emotional, the same mechanism in our brain is activated - our limbic system which contains our amygdala (the fight, flight, or freeze response). This system is there for an evolutionary purpose - for survival. When we don’t feel safe, signals fire through our brain which make us feel emotions like fear, telling us to pay attention to this threat and take action to pursue safety (Hammond, 2014; Zak 2017; Coyle, 2018).
When we are experiencing heightened emotions, this state of mind can impede our ability to learn or work. Especially for younger students whose frontal lobes are not fully mature (meaning their executive functioning skills aren’t fully developed yet), feeling unsafe is a significant obstacle when it comes to learning successfully in a classroom. Factors that can make students and adults feel unsafe include experiences like inequitable culture or favoritism, fear of harsh consequences or ridicule for taking risks, and lack of trust with peers or an authority figure.
So when we see a student lashing out, or see a fellow teacher stuck in a negative mindset, it’s possible these responses are an expression of protecting oneself from threats of perceived harm, even if they are not fully aware of this. In my time working with schools, I’ve had teachers ask me why students are unable to separate their feelings from learning in a classroom. My response is what the research shows – emotion and cognition are inextricably linked in our brains. We cannot expect any human being to separate these, especially young children who are still learning how to be self-aware and manage their emotions and behaviors. It’s actually when we lean into the idea that all humans need to feel emotional connection to others through safety, trust, and security in order to take risks and stretch their abilities, is when meaningful learning and growth is possible.
Idea #2: Effective learning needs to stick in long-term memory.
Much of the traditional model for education is focused on short-term memory, including rote memorization of facts, studying by re-reading and highlighting, regurgitating facts on tests, and then moving on to another topic of study, etc. These surface-level learning strategies do not lead to deep long-lasting learning, and information learned this way is easily forgotten.
I like to ask educators to consider the question, “If your students took the same test six months later without reviewing any of the content, how would they do? How about three months from now? One month?” If the answer is “not so well”, then the next question for us to consider is, “How could we engage students differently in the learning, so that the big ideas stick with them longer than only the testing window?”
We now know that we need different strategies to build knowledge and experiences that are stored in long-term memory, like creating multi-sensory learning experiences, providing opportunities for critical thinking and productive struggle, project-based and interdisciplinary learning, allowing students to have more agency and choice for students to feel intrinsically motivated by what they are learning, and revisiting common big ideas over time through new applications. In addition, research shows that strategies like retrieval practice (or spaced practice), as well as interleaving, allow the brain to build stronger and longer-lasting memories (Kirschner, 2002; Oakley et al., 2021; Willingham, 2009).
Space is another underutilized factor when it comes to creating memorable learning experiences. Our brains pay attention to novel spaces, and can recruit more attentional resources to building stronger memories. Taking a class outside, or to a different location, can allow new neural pathways to form in combination with whatever the content is that is being learned in that space.
How do we make this link between brain science and education stronger?
One way we make this link stronger is by rethinking what teachers learn when training to be a teacher, and what kind of learning and practice is sustainable and meaningful once they are teaching in classrooms. This includes teacher pre-service programs, teacher induction programs, and inservice professional development opportunities. The science of learning should become a necessary and fundamental element of preparation and ongoing development of educators and leaders, allowing people to create a deep knowledge and awareness of research related to the brain and to be able to make grounded choices for students and staff in K-12 education throughout their careers. PLCs and education associations can also prioritize research-based books and articles that connect brain science to education, providing enriching growth opportunities for teachers that are about how people learn, in addition to learning new curricular programs or technologies.
At Professional Learning Partnerships, we partner with 22 innovative K-12 school districts and organizational partners across the U.S., to collaboratively define what integrating brain science research in practice looks like for their students, staff, leaders, and families. Every partner applies key ideas from brain science in their own unique ways to fit their goals, and reflect the values of their community. Our network is growing quickly, and we welcome anyone who shares our belief that brain science and education should be deeply connected, so students and staff are authentically successful and fulfilled in their experiences. Join us in this effort to transform learning and leadership using brain science!
View this article also published with Growing Minds Consulting, an organization led by Naomi Church which empowers educators to reach and teach all learners using the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework.
About the Author
Julia Skolnik, MSEd is the CEO and Founder of Professional Learning Partnerships. With over 20 years of experience in the fields of education, neuroscience, and learning sciences, her passion to connect research and practice motivates her work daily. She creates the overarching vision for PLP, designs innovative and research-based professional learning programs that transforms both individual practice and educational systems, and cultivates long-term partnerships with leaders across our network.
