TY - JOUR
T1 - The principles and practices of educational neuroscience
T2 - Comment on Bowers (2016)
AU - Howard-Jones, Paul A.
AU - Varma, Sashank
AU - Ansari, Daniel
AU - Butterworth, Brian
AU - De Smedt, Bert
AU - Goswami, Usha
AU - Laurillard, Diana
AU - Thomas, Michael S.C.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2016 American Psychological Association.
PY - 2016/10/1
Y1 - 2016/10/1
N2 - In his recent critique of Educational Neuroscience, Bowers argues that neuroscience has no role to play in informing education, which he equates with classroom teaching. Neuroscience, he suggests, adds nothing to what we can learn from psychology. In this commentary, we argue that Bowers' assertions misrepresent the nature and aims of the work in this new field. We suggest that, by contrast, psychological and neural levels of explanation complement rather than compete with each other. Bowers' analysis also fails to include a role for educational expertise-a guiding principle of our new field. On this basis, we conclude that his critique is potentially misleading. We set out the well-documented goals of research in Educational Neuroscience, and show how, in collaboration with educators, significant progress has already been achieved, with the prospect of even greater progress in the future.
AB - In his recent critique of Educational Neuroscience, Bowers argues that neuroscience has no role to play in informing education, which he equates with classroom teaching. Neuroscience, he suggests, adds nothing to what we can learn from psychology. In this commentary, we argue that Bowers' assertions misrepresent the nature and aims of the work in this new field. We suggest that, by contrast, psychological and neural levels of explanation complement rather than compete with each other. Bowers' analysis also fails to include a role for educational expertise-a guiding principle of our new field. On this basis, we conclude that his critique is potentially misleading. We set out the well-documented goals of research in Educational Neuroscience, and show how, in collaboration with educators, significant progress has already been achieved, with the prospect of even greater progress in the future.
KW - Education
KW - Educational neuroscience
KW - Instruction
KW - Neuroscience
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84988566317&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84988566317&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1037/rev0000036
DO - 10.1037/rev0000036
M3 - Comment/debate
C2 - 27657441
AN - SCOPUS:84988566317
SN - 0033-295X
VL - 123
SP - 620
EP - 627
JO - Psychological Review
JF - Psychological Review
IS - 5
ER -