Common Neuromyths of Education
Moderate Concept: Common Neuromyths in Education
Author: Hailey Lister
ED 304: Ed Psych & Human Development
Disclosure: No AI programs were used in the making of this section
“A commonly-held false belief about how the mind and brain function”(Acevska). A Neuromyth is also defined as “a misconception generated by a misunderstanding, a misreading, or a misquoting of facts scientifically established (by brain research) to make a case for the use of brain research in education and other contexts”(Torrijos-Muelas, M., González-Víllora, S., & Bodoque-Osma, A. R). Neuromyths float around like glitter around a preschool, you just can’t seem to get rid of them! So, how do they start? “Neuromyths generally are not spread by malicious intent, but rather miscommunication, misinterpretation of results from a scientific study, oversimplification of a study’s results by popular media, substandard media coverage such as the coverage of irrelevant information, sensationalism, and the omission of relevant information. Some neuromyths stem from scientific hypotheses that have been held true for a long time but are subsequently abandoned by the scientific community once new evidence emerges.”(Acevska).
In this section, we will dive into 3 common neuromyths:
- We only use 10% of our brains
- We have a dominant brain hemisphere (left brain v.s. Right brain)
- Kids can learn better if taught in their learning styles
We only use 10% of our brains:
This is a common neuromyth that has been circling around for a long time. It is unclear where exactly this neuromyth started, but its persistence is something quite intriguing. You do use 100% of your brain. A common way to assess brain activity is through a PET(positron emission tomography) scan. Essentially a PET Scan displays radioactive tracers that are injected into the bloodstream. The principal fuel for our brain is Glucose. “Active areas of the brain will be utilizing glucose at a higher rate than inactive areas. When highlighted under a PET Scanner, it allows doctors to see how the brain is working and helps them detect any abnormalities” (Krans).
This is a PET Scan of a typical brain:
The warmer color represents more activity and the blue outline is the skill. As we can see, even in its resting state we are using 100% of our brain.
Left Brain V.S. Right Brain
Our brain is divided into two hemispheres, the left hemisphere and the right hemisphere. Each hemisphere controls the opposite side of the body (right hemisphere- left side of the body, left hemisphere- right side of the body) Our brain is responsible for processing and responding to everything around us.
In the 1960’s Roger W. Sperry started to conduct split-brain experiments. To sum it up, he concluded that each side of our brain performs different functions and processes different information: The left brain with predominantly analytical information and the right brain with creative info. This is where the myth starts. People categorize themselves as either predominantly right-brained (analytical) or left-brained (creative). He later went on to win a Nobel prize for his work.
“However, over time, the left brain vs. right brain dominance theory has proven to be more fiction than fact. In 2013, a team of neuroscientists reviewed Sperry and Gazzaniga’s research, along with new evidence, and debunked several previous findings:
The human brain does not favor one side over the other.
The two sides work differently, but one side is not stronger than the other unless it’s damaged. (Likewise, despite what a bratty sibling or bully may have told you in middle school, neither brain size nor strength correlates to intelligence. Certain areas of the brain simply have stronger neural connections than others, which is what makes each of us better at certain skills – and those connections skills can be strengthened with practice.)
We do not only use one side of our brain at a time. Both sides work in concert. For example, our left brain may do the heavy lifting with calculations, but our right brain helps with estimates and numerical comparisons” (Rozen)
Learning Styles:
Learning styles are a way to categorize how learners interpret, integrate, and process new information. A very popular theory is VARK. This theory proposes that there are four types of learners: Visual, Auditory, Reading/ Writing, and Kinesthetic to which there is no empirical evidence. Learners are categorized by their preferences for:
Visual- Graphs, diagrams, videos
Auditory- Lectures, music, discussion
Reading/ Writing- taking notes, reading a textbook
Kinesthetic- hands-on learning, projects
Watch the video for more info LINK
Learning styles are widely accepted, but just not true! Over 90% of educators believe in this common myth. To drive the point home:
Pacini and Learning Styles
“Learning styles are bogus. In fact, they’re a good deal worse than bogus. I tell people every chance I get. In fact, my students know that the easiest way to push my buttons is to talk about their learning styles.
And why?
Learning styles themselves are pretty anodyne. Yes, they’re bogus pseudoscience, but they’re no worse than personality tests, love languages, or horoscopes.
Rather, the frustration is that learning styles are so easy to fix and so profoundly entrenched despite being so utterly debunked” (Pacini).
For additional study:
https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2019/05/learning-styles-myth
Conclusion:
There are lots of neuromyths in education, this is just to name a few. As educators and people in general we need to be skeptical. Many things are widely accepted without any evidence. Neuromyths have no real effect on education unless we let them. However, over 90% of educators believe in these and that needs to change. We should be careful not to place too much of our trust in things before we know the actual science behind them.
Summary
- Neuromyths are miscommunications about Neuroscience
- We DO use 100% of our brains
- We don't have a dominant brain hemisphere
- Learning styles are Bullsp*t
Check for Understanding:
What does PET ( as in PET Scan) stand for?
Positron emission tomography
Portable emission tomography
Positron external tomography
What did Roger Sperry call his experiments?
Split-brain experiments
Half-brain experiments
Isolated hemisphere experiments
Which is not a Neuromyth?
Our brain hemispheres have different functions
Learning Styles
We only use 10% of our brain
Dominant brain hemisphere
References:
Acevska, J. (2021, December 16). Neuromyths: What are they and what can we do about them?. NeuroΨence. https://neuropsyence.net/2021/12/16/what-are-neuromyths/
Torrijos-Muelas, M., González-Víllora, S., & Bodoque-Osma, A. R. (2021, January 12). The persistence of Neuromyths in the educational settings: A systematic review. Frontiers in psychology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7835631/#:~:text=From%20an%20educational%20approach%2C%20a,%E2%80%9D%20(OECD%2C%202002).
Krans, B. (2018, November 3). What is a brain pet scan?. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/brain-pet-scan
Kendra Cherry, Mse. (2023, February 28). Are you a visual, auditory, reading/writing, or tactile learner?. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/vark-learning-styles-2795156
Pacini, B. (2023, April 23). Learning styles are Bullspit. Learning Styles are Bullspit - by Benjamin Pacini. https://skepticaleducator.substack.com/p/learning-styles-are-bullspit?utm_source=profile&utm_medium=reader2
Rozen, S. (2023, July 12). Left brain vs. right brain: Fact or fiction?. Work Life by Atlassian. https://www.atlassian.com/blog/productivity/left-brain-vs-right-brain#:~:text=In%20the%201960s%2C%20neuroscience%20research,artsy%2C%20creative%2C%20emotional).
Pietrangelo, A. (2024, February 5). Left brain vs. right brain: What’s the difference? Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/health/left-brain-vs-right-brain#research
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Access it online or download it at https://books.byui.edu/development_motivati/common_neuromyths_of_education.