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The Prevalence of Educational Neuromyths Among Pre‐Service Special Education Teachers
Author(s) -
Ruhaak Amy E.,
Cook Bryan G.
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
mind, brain, and education
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.624
H-Index - 35
eISSN - 1751-228X
pISSN - 1751-2271
DOI - 10.1111/mbe.12181
Subject(s) - pseudoscience , coursework , terminology , psychology , medical education , identification (biology) , pedagogy , medicine , alternative medicine , linguistics , philosophy , botany , pathology , biology
Educational neuromyths are commonly accepted, erroneous beliefs based on misunderstandings of neuroscience that contribute to pseudoscientific practice within education. We examined the beliefs and perspectives of special education pre‐service teachers related to educational neuromyths and corresponding instructional practices using a mixed‐methods design. Data from survey ( n = 129) and interview participants ( n = 6) indicate misperceptions of neuromyths and gaps in general knowledge of the brain, learning, and behavior. Participants who accurately identified neuromyths indicated they were more likely to implement effective instructional practices, and findings indicated a small, positive correlation between education coursework and accurate identification of neuromyths. Qualitative findings suggest participants are confused by the terminology surrounding educational neuromyths and do not know how to identify pseudoscientific neuromyth‐based practices. Recommendations for addressing the proliferation of neuromyths are provided.