Education and Neuroscience: Evidence, Theory and Practical Application

This book brings together contributions from scientists and educators at the forefront of interdisciplinary research efforts involving neuroscience and education. It includes consideration of what we know about brain function that may be relevant to educational areas including reading, mathematics, music and creativity. The increasing interest of educators in neuroscience also brings dangers with it, as evidenced by the proliferation of neuromyths within schools and colleges. For this reason, it also reviews some of the more prominent misconceptions, as well as exploring how educational understanding can be constructed in the future that includes concepts from neuroscience more judiciously.
This book will be of interest to educators, policymakers and scientists seeking fresh perspectives on how we learn.
This book was published as a special issue in Educational Research, a journal of the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER).

Paul Howard-Jones specialises in interdisciplinary research involving neuroscience and education, publishing in education, philosophy, psychology and neuroscience. His research, whether using educational, psychological or neuroscientific methods, is grounded by considerable past experience in the training and professional development of teachers. In 2005-2006, he coordinated the UK’s ESRC seminar series on Neuroscience and Education, authoring the popular commentary that arose from it. He is also the author of the recently published Introducing Neuroeducational Research: Neuroscience, education and the brain from contexts to practice (2009). He is a passionate contributor to the general debate around neuroscience and education in educational, scientific and public arenas, but his more specific research interests include creativity, educational technology and learning games. He co-ordinates the NeuroEducational Research Network (NEnet) at the Graduate School of Education, University of Bristol, UK.

1. Introduction: Education and neuroscience Paul A. Howard-Jones 2. Neuromythologies in education John Geake 3. Reading, dyslexia and the brain Usha Goswami 4. How should educational neuroscience conceptualise the relation between cognition and brain function? Mathematical reasoning as a network process Sashank Varma and Daniel L. Schwartz 5. Dyscalculia: neuroscience and education Liane Kaufmann 6. What are the implications of neuroscience for musical education? Lauren Stewart and Aaron Williamon 7. Co-constructing an understanding of creativity in drama education that draws on neuropsychological concepts Paul A. Howard-Jones, M. Winfield and G. Crimmins