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May 24, 2022
feduc-07-912827
Hachem et al. Time: 8:1 # 7 Educational Neuroscience Professional Development

neuroscientific content. Teachers indicated preferring in-person access to reputable information to inform their practices,
meetings which provide more social interactions as that would rather than misinformation that could be misleading at best, or
have increased their motivation and engagement. Furthermore, damaging to their self-efficacy at worst (Dekker and Jolles, 2015;
the fact that these sessions happened during the pandemic Coch, 2018).
reduced teachers’ motivation and engagement as they were Further investigations into the level of the impact
already in the challenging phase of adjusting to online teaching and benefit that the PD had on teachers and students
and to all the daily life changes that came with the pandemic. will be required. Completing these sessions during
normal circumstances, that is, not during a pandemic,
would allow PD that more closely follows strong
DISCUSSION PD guidelines. For example, ongoing reflection and
monitoring of the impact of the PD on teachers’ practice
Participant responses indicated that Educational Neuroscience would be possible rather than solely retrospectively
PD sessions had a positive impact on them. The sessions addressing it. Furthermore, teachers would be able
primarily increased participants’ knowledge of neuroscience to apply the practices informed by neuroscience
concepts and, more importantly, provided them with more directly in their classrooms, rather than
practical and useful applications that they were able to virtually, and witnessing their students’ responses and
employ in their classrooms. Participants also reported interactions in real time.
positive changes in their students. Supporting teachers
to better meet the needs of students was a main area
that this study aimed to address. It was evident through
participants’ discourse the impact increased neuroscience CONCLUSION
knowledge had on their relationships with students
and on students’ own understandings of neuroscience This study helps to begin to address concerns about the
concepts and how to control their own learning. Teachers disparity between neuroscience and education. Being a co-
reported noticing changes in their students’ engagement designed study between researchers in neuroscience and
and academic performance. Specifically, teachers reported school psychology and school district partners, this study will
noticing increased student engagement in learning, more help move educational neuroscience forward, by providing
meaningful learning experiences, and academic and personal school personnel identified as useful in informing their
growth. This is an important outcome of this PD which practice in order to begin bridging the research to practice
further supports infusing educational neuroscience in gap. It begins to address gaps in the current educational
teacher PD programs. neuroscience literature by collaboratively designing training
Participants’ reflections, although anecdotal, are powerful content and delivery for high school teachers and measuring
in revealing the importance of enhancing teaching practices, the impact of the training on both teachers and students.
providing meaningful learning experiences, and strengthening There is increasing diversity in schools and continued calls
teacher-student relationships. Participants voiced the importance to better meet both the academic and mental health needs
of learning about cognitive neuroscience for teachers and of students. By addressing teachers, who have a broad
their students and the positive impacts that has on lesson reaching impact on students, our aim was to contribute
planning, lesson delivery, assessment, student engagement, to understanding how training teachers to understand
and the teacher-student relationship. Teachers indicated adolescent brain and cognitive development can positively
their knowledge of the brain increased their ability to be impact both teachers and students. Findings of this study
understanding and empathetic toward students’ diverse show that the PD sessions impacted teachers’ perceptions
needs and behaviors. They understood better the variety of their knowledge and understanding of the brain and as
of influences in the students’ environments that may a result had a noticeable impact on their perceptions of
impact their learning (including stress, diet, sleep. . .. etc.). their teaching practice. Teachers reported modifying their
Furthermore, being able to provide a rationale and scientific instruction and practiced applying new strategies informed
explanation for why certain practices were useful for their by neuroscience and were able to witness changes in their
learning seemed to make teachers feel empowered and students’ engagement and overall performance in different
increased their self-efficacy. Strong teacher self-efficacy has academic subjects.
demonstrated positive relationships to wellbeing, learning, On the other hand, some limitations of this study include
achievement, and more, for both teachers and students switching to a fully online platform after the first two sessions,
alike (Zee and Kooman, 2016). This further reinforces the due to the pandemic, which may have negatively impacted
value of educational neuroscience PD for teachers, our social interactions and teachers’ engagement in the PD sessions.
study indicated that the PD filled existing gaps in teacher Teachers reported going through a stressful year which may
knowledge, reinforced existing practices, and taught new have impacted their ability to apply the knowledge they learned
skills and approaches to teachers, all of which benefited during the PD sessions in their teaching practice and likely
their self-efficacy. As teachers continue to seek stronger negatively impacted the number of teachers who chose to
understandings of neuroscience, it is essential that they have participate in the study. Collectively, these factors, in addition

Frontiers in Education | www.frontiersin.org 7 May 2022 | Volume 7 | Article 912827