The Early Years Sign Survey — calling all Early Years practitioners!

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Our colleagues at Newcastle University are interested in how sign systems such as Makaton and British Sign Language are used by practitioners working with 0-5 year olds in Early Years settings.

Sign systems are thought to be commonly used in the Early Years, but there is no research yet to document this. We also don’t know who uses sign in the Early Years, or how practitioners feel about the use of sign. The Early Years Sign Survey aims to fill these gaps in our knowledge. This is the first stage in building an evidence base for the use of sign in early years education.

The survey takes less than 10 minutes to complete and does not ask for any personal details. Click here to take part in the survey. Click here to download the flier.

New CEN paper on the state of translational educational neuroscience in the UK

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The CEN has published a new paper in the journal Mind Brain and Education entitled Evidence, policy, education, and neuroscience – state of play of play in the UK, which gives an overview of translational educational neuroscience in the United Kingdom.

We consider the state of translation, describing respectively the state of the dialogue between researchers and educators, the state of evaluation of approaches to improve educational outcomes, and the state of innovation in research translation.

We consider the teacher perspective: what do UK teachers think about educational neuroscience and its potential for informing classroom practice? And how do ideas about pedagogical approaches feature amongst their everyday concerns? We describe the results of a recent survey from a representative sample of over 1000 UK teachers, and a case study of a UK high school teacher who employs educational neuroscience in his practice and what this entails.

We consider the policy perspective and assess the recent move by the UK government to introduce knowledge of cognitive science into initial and early-career teacher training.

Finally we propose an idealised way that schools, universities, ‘what-works’ clearing houses, teacher training and continuous professional development, and government might interact to support educational innovation. Educational neuroscience feeds into the research and development wing of education. Here’s a picture.

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Here are highlights from the paper:

What is already known about this topic?

  • Suboptimal dialogue between researchers and practitioners hampers educational neuroscience.
  • Randomised controlled trials are a preferred form of evaluation to build an evidence-base for education.
  • Teachers’ attitudes to educational neuroscience and its incorporation into teacher training are key aspects of translation.

What does this paper add and how?

  • Educational neuroscience can be viewed as a Research and Development (R&D) wing of education, but countries differ in their progress towards this destination.
  • A representative UK survey of over 1000 teachers suggested they are open to educational neuroscience but workload and funding are more pressing priorities.
  • RCTs yield small effect sizes for single educational interventions but insights into cause, while child-centred approaches yield bigger effects but less insight into why they work.

What are the implications for practice and/or policy?

  • A more systematic approach to translation is required to ensure even coverage, and a science of teaching is needed to accompany a science of learning.
  • There is insufficient investment in infrastructure for translation to support innovation in education; we need transdisciplinary educational innovation hubs.
  • Dialogues between researchers and practitioners need to focus on implementation of educational neuroscience insights in the classroom.

Read the full article at: https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12423

And for those who want more, here’s the Supplementary material, including an interview with Learnus’s Jeremy Dudman-Jones: Supplementary material for Thomas-et-al-2024

Advancing Education Through Neuroscience: The Role of the Educational Neuroscience Hub Europe (Malta) and Its Impact on Teaching Practices

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In this blog, our colleague and collaborator Dr. Erika Galea, talks about how she founded and directs the Educational Neuroscience Hub Europe (Malta). Erika holds a masters in educational leadership and completed her PhD in the Department of Psychology and Human Development at University College London. Her thesis was entitled ‘Regulating Emotions in the Maltese Classroom to Improve the Quality of Teaching and Learning in the Early Years’. She has spent over two decades working in education as a teacher and in senior leadership. The Hub, founded in 2022, is focused on promoting evidence-based strategies to improve teaching and learning effectiveness, emphasising student-centred education. Erika describes the inspiration behind the Hub, and how it is achieving its goals.

Introduction and Impact

The Educational Neuroscience Hub Europe (Malta), of which I am founder and director, has been instrumental in raising awareness and transforming the mindset of educators across Malta and Gozo, from early childhood education through to tertiary education. This transformation involves council of heads, school and college principals, lecturers, senior leadership teams, curriculum coordinators and heads of departments, teachers, learning support staff, as well as psychologists, speech therapists, inclusive coordinators, social workers, and play therapists, all through its extensive training workshops.

Bridging Neuroscience and Pedagogy

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By introducing the science of teaching and learning, the Hub aims to bridge the gap between neuroscience and pedagogy. As the expert leading this initiative, I am converging these two disciplines within local schools. Dialogue with experienced educators is of utmost importance, as listening to those who have been trialling and testing teaching strategies for a while is crucial for merging the neuroscientific strategies with their already effective methods. It is important to communicate to educators that this is not about completely changing their methodology, but rather about making small adjustments to enhance its effectiveness in reaching their students in the classroom.

Debunking Neuromyths

maltablog3A significant focus of the training is to debunk common neuromyths—misconceptions about brain function that can hinder effective teaching practices. For instance, the belief that individuals are either left-brained or right-brained learners is a neuromyth that the Hub actively dispels. Similarly, the Hub addresses the widespread belief in learning styles and multiple intelligences, clarifying that these ideas are not supported by current neuroscientific evidence. By correcting such misunderstandings, the Hub empowers teachers with accurate knowledge, enabling them to adopt strategies that align with how the brain genuinely processes information, including the various types of memory involved.

Evidence-Based Teaching Strategies

maltablog4A key element of the training workshops is examining the influence of neuroscience on teaching strategies and embedding these approaches within the curriculum, lesson planning, and daily methodology. The Hub’s approach is grounded in evidence-based practices that adopt insights from brain research to enhance teaching methods. Teachers learn how to apply principles of neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to reorganise itself by forming new neural connections, which is transformative in enabling them to create more adaptable and responsive learning environments. Practical applications, discussed during the workshops, include strategies such as different modes of retrieval practice, with their lesson planning for improving memory retention, fostering critical thinking skills, and boosting overall student engagement through activities that stimulate cognitive development.

Integrating Emotion Regulation, Metacognition and Self-Regulated Learning

maltablog5Emotion regulation, metacognitive and self-regulated learning strategies are integrated into daily teaching routines, promoting both cognitive and emotional intelligence, as well as a growth mindset, among students. By incorporating these strategies into their pedagogy, teachers not only help students manage their emotions but also support their development of metacognitive and self-regulated learning skills. When students can manage their emotions, they are better equipped to monitor and adjust their cognitive strategies, leading to improved focus and more effective engagement with learning activities. Self-regulated learning further enhances this by empowering students to set goals, develop strategies, and self-assess their progress, all while managing emotional responses that might otherwise hinder their learning.

Enhancing Retention Through Emotional Engagement, Novelty and Relevance

maltablog6During the workshops, I emphasise the crucial role of presenting relevant content and introducing novelty to enhance motivation and engagement, as well as evoking emotions in teaching to improve the retention of information and skills. By adopting cognitive strategies that incorporate emotional engagement, teachers can help students not only remember content more effectively but also develop the self-awareness and self-regulation skills necessary for lifelong learning. This integrated approach ensures that students are not only managing their emotions but also applying metacognitive and self-regulation strategies to achieve more profound and sustained learning outcomes.

Workshop Structure and Impact

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The workshops offer a highly enriching experience, divided into three distinct parts to maximise impact. The session begins with an engaging and interactive talk that presents the theoretical underpinnings of neuroscientific strategies. This is followed by collaborative, hands-on practical work designed to help educators integrate these strategies into their daily methodologies. The final component provides a platform for educators to delve deeper into these concepts, reflect on their practices, and discuss their experiences. This structured approach not only allows educators to critically examine and enhance their methods but also ensures that the strategies are practical and effective for real classroom settings.

Fostering Mindset Shifts and Engagement

maltablog8Educational Neuroscience focuses on creating awareness of evidence-based approaches, necessitating a change in mindset. This shift fosters engaging and thoughtful discussions, making it a fulfilling experience and a pleasure to positively impact teaching approaches. The insightful questions posed by teachers during these workshops reflect their active engagement and critical reflection on their teaching practices. These interactions highlight the success of the various workshops in promoting a deeper understanding of how neuroscience can inform and improve educational practices. Engaging with experienced educators facilitates a rich exchange of ideas, enhancing the training’s effectiveness and providing newly qualified teachers with new strategies and teaching approaches.

National Recognition and Future Outlook

Since the training and awareness initiatives started last October, teachers and school senior leadership teams nationwide have enthusiastically embraced the educational neuroscience workshops and evidence-based practices throughout the past scholastic year, valuing the insightful and practical strategies provided. There is strong interest in expanding these workshops further, with a focus on providing adequate support during implementation and evaluation phases to measure their impact effectively. Their collective enthusiasm highlights a strong commitment to enhancing educational outcomes through the application of neuroscience principles.

The positive development is that educational neuroscience has been officially recognised and incorporated into the Malta National Education Strategy 2024–2030, which was published in March 2024. Following a consultation with the working group on the National Education Strategy at the Ministry for Education and conducting training sessions for ministry officials, I played a pivotal role in advocating for this inclusion, highlighting the recognition of the significance of educational neuroscience. This strategic move emphasises the commitment to adopting scientific insights to enhance educational outcomes nationwide. By embedding educational neuroscience into the Malta National Educational Strategy, the initiative aims to sustain and expand its impact, ultimately benefiting teachers and students across the country.

I look forward to continuing this journey in the upcoming academic year, delving further into integrating neuroscience principles into teaching and learning.

For more on the Educational Neuroscience Hub Europe (Malta), visit our website. To contact Dr. Galea, email her at: erikagalea@educationalneurosciencehub.com

The Spatial Reasoning Toolkit (we love the keyrings!)

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Here at the CEN, we are very excited about the Spatial Reasoning Toolkit, developed by CEN members Emily Farran and Katie Gilligan-Lee (now at Surrey University and University College Dublin, respectively).

Spatial reasoning involves our interpretation of how things, including ourselves, relate to each other in space, and includes interpreting images and creating representations. We use spatial reasoning in our everyday lives and in many occupations. Importantly, spatial reasoning is strongly linked with achievement in mathematics.

Spatial reasoning can be taught and spatial experiences are particularly important for spatial development in early childhood. However, while research has demonstrated that spatial cognition has a fundamental causal role in success in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects, its potential remains under-realised because spatial cognition is under-emphasised both in classroom practice and in education policy.

The Spatial Reasoning Toolkit provide resources to help educators support the development of children’s spatial reasoning in sensitive, age-appropriate and playful ways. At the CEN, we particularly love the spatial reasoning keyrings, which give a a quick and handy reference resource summarising the learning trajectories for spatial skills. They provide suggestions for activities to support the development of children’s spatial cognition from birth to 7 years and include spatial language prompts. We have been playing with the Shape Properties keyring ourselves (shown above), but there are also Movement & Navigation and Shape Composition & Construction versions available. You can make your own keyrings using the resources here.

Make time for space in your STEM education!

Here’s Emily describing the toolkit at a recent seminar:

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New PhD Opportunity in Educational Neuroscience at University College Dublin

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Dr. Katie Gilligan-Lee, an affiliate member of the CEN, is excited to be advertising a funded PhD position in educational neuroscience/developmental psychology at University College Dublin, Ireland. This PhD project will begin in September 2024 and will broadly investigate the role of spatial cognition for Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) achievement. However, there will be flexibility in the design of specific studies and inclusion of additional research themes. The funding covers both a PhD stipend and fees.

Further information and details on how to apply can be found here. The deadline for applications is: 5pm May 17th 2024. Informal queries can be sent to Katie directly at katie.gilligan-lee@ucd.ie.

Project details: There is convincing evidence that spatial skills play an important role in STEM achievement. However, preliminary evidence suggests that this association may differ for children from different socio-economic status (SES) backgrounds. The goal of this project is to investigate the cognitive mechanisms that underpin spatial-STEM associations and explore the moderating effect of SES on these associations. Wider goals of the project are to promote children’s STEM success inside and outside of the classroom, and to reduce SES-based attainment gaps using cognitive intervention.

How can educational neuroscience be of practical use in the classroom? A high school example

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In this blog, we look at an example of how scientific insights from educational neuroscience can practically inform classroom practice. We talk to UK high-school teacher Jeremy Dudman-Jones who has found educational neuroscience research integral to his professional approach – to the extent that he gives talks on the topic to students, teachers, parents, and even business professionals. Jeremy (centre above) is an experienced high-school teacher and assistant head in a London school. He has taught for over 34 years, including in three culturally diverse public schools in London, teaching geography, psychology, government and politics, and sociology.

We asked Jeremy three questions: How did he first encounter educational neuroscience? Which findings from neuroscience did he feel were most important in his practice? And how did he communicate educational neuroscience to others (and what was their response)?

We first asked Jeremy how he had encountered educational neuroscience: As a young adult training to be a teacher, it was obvious to me that engaging with a young person’s brain was going to be an important part of my job and as someone who had studied a biology degree, I had some vague understanding of the importance of chemical neurotransmitters and neurons even back in the early 1980s. The penny dropped in the mid-1990s with the publication of Steven Pinker’s “The Language instinct” and Judith Harris’ “The nurture assumption”. These books gave me the first insights into the fact that the brain was plastic, that it changed and that at certain periods of one’s life, it seemed to almost have greater specific skills.

The pre and post adolescent brains that I had been interacting with as a professional were different, were changing and were miraculous. In the early 2000s, when I was a tutor at the University of London Institute of Education working with teachers training in social science, I began to tell them about brain plasticity, a term that was being increasingly referenced in the literature I was reading. One of the new teachers seemed not to be particularly engaged so I asked what the problem was, and they said, “I don’t need to know what goes on under the bonnet, all I need you to tell me is how to drive the car”. For me, this became my inspiration and from then on, I resolved to learn more about neuroscience and to translate it, as any good teacher should be able to do, into meaningful and useful information for my teaching colleagues and I have continued this approach for over 20 years.

We next asked Jeremy which findings from neuroscience were most important in his practice: Having read the literature over the past few decades, it seemed to me that as a teacher I should try to focus on four main areas:

  1. The idea of brain plasticity, of laying down neural connections and of synaptic pruning.
  2. The idea that the brain in a sense matures as people go through adolescence and into adulthood – which parts of the brain appear to mature later and the impact this might have on behaviour and attitudes to learning.
  3. Circadian rhythms are also important, given the timing of the school day, the importance of sleep and the apparent lag time the adolescent brain as in producing melatonin compared to the adult brain.
  4. The role of neurotransmitters especially dopamine (for reward), serotonin (for mood) and oxytocin (for social bonding).

All of these insights have been useful to me as a teacher, pastoral lead and member of the school’s leadership team; I have certainly become more understanding and therefore more sympathetic to the changing attitudes of the secondary school student; I have been able to think more clearly about the need to return to topics to slow down or prevent synaptic pruning, I have been able to incorporate more dopamine events into the curriculum and use the “high five” to form oxytocin bonds; and I have been able to believe in the students much more given the insights that I have into the brilliant concept of plasticity.

Finally, we asked Jeremy how he communicates educational neuroscience to others (and what their response is): Over the years I have developed several presentations that I give to various educational stakeholders. These include presentations to primary school teachers, primary school parents and primary school students; secondary school teachers, parents, and students; senior leadership teams and individuals training to become teachers; and finally, people in industry and business settings. All of my presentations revolve around similar themes. These are: plasticity, synaptic pruning, motivation, circadian rhythms, neurotransmitters, basic cognitive psychology, and memory.

“My presentations revolve around similar themes: plasticity, motivation, circadian rhythms, neurotransmitters, basic cognitive psychology, and memory … The problems, if any, arise from what practically can then be done about the scientific findings”

Thankfully, all the audiences are fascinated by the insights that I have to offer. The problems, if any, arise from what practically can then be done about the findings. Practical solutions need time to be figured out and applying strategies in an already crowded market where silver bullets are promised by everyone is a real issue. My own presentations suggest that at the moment, there are no silver bullets on offer and that actually what stakeholders need to do is take on board the current academic findings and work with small personal strategies. Or realise that the brain changes and develops – understand this and you will be more understanding and accepting of adolescent behaviour and quirks.

I have also implemented a whole series of Action Research Groups with colleagues in my school. This means that I give a presentation on the “Teenage Brain” for 25 minutes, to a group of staff, including student teachers and then set aside another 25 minutes to allow staff to decide upon an Action research strategy that they can implement in their lessons or other aspects of school life over a 3-month period. They establish success criteria and ways of measuring impact and return after 3 months to feedback on their findings. Over the past few years, feedback has been nothing but positive and it has given staff the opportunity to take a more personal, trusting role in their own application of neuroscience findings.

In my experience, everyone is fascinated by neuroscience: parents are reassured that the changes they witness are the norm, staff understand that making memories requires effort, and students understand that their own brains are changing and that it is not to be feared; senior leaders become more sympathetic to teaching staff and they reconsider expectations including timings of meetings, and of course staff themselves become more aware of the genius and diversity of the students in their care. Finally, even slightly cynical business leaders see value in many elements of cognitive psychology, especially around the idea of team building, motivation and how reward channelled by neurotransmitters can best be utilised. However, I am very much of the view that educational neuroscience is at the early stages of its development, and there is much more to come.

Thank you, Jeremy!

References

Harris, J. R. (1998). The nurture assumption: why children turn out the way they do. New York, Free Press.

Pinker, S. (1994 / 2007). The Language Instinct. New York, NY: Harper Perennial Modern Classics.

Supporting the Complex Needs of Children with Genetic Syndromes in Educational Practice: A New Online Resource for Teachers and Education Practitioners

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The Neurodevelopmental Research (NDevR) lab recently launched a new teacher focused training resource: Supporting the Complex Needs of Children with Genetic Syndromes in Educational Practice (www.findteacherresources.co.uk). Researchers Dr Jo Moss and Holly Snellgrove from the University of Surrey developed this novel, freely available e-resource in consultation with SENCOs, SEN teachers, parents, carers and educational psychologists. Its aim is to raise awareness and understanding of the complex needs of children with genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability. In this blog, Jo and Holly give an overview of the inspiration behind the resource, and what it comprises.

“Children with neurodevelopmental conditions are known to experience poor developmental, health and wellbeing outcomes compared to neurotypical peers (Beadle-Brown et al. 2005). These inequalities are heightened in children with the most complex clinical presentations and particularly those with intellectual disability (ID) associated with rare genetic syndromes.

Currently rare genetic conditions account for approximately 50% of individuals with severe intellectual disability and 20% of individuals with a mild intellectual disability (Oliver & Woodcock, 2008). Therefore, it’s crucial that educational practitioners receive appropriate training and support to cater for the needs of children with genetic syndromes in classroom settings.

“At present, practitioners working in schools have very limited access to training and information about rare genetic syndromes”

At present, practitioners working in schools have very limited access to training and information regarding these syndromes and due to the rarity of the syndromes, they are unlikely to have significant experience of working with other children who have the same condition. Therefore, condensed and accessible information on genetic syndromes can be invaluable for practitioners (Waite et al, 2014).

The resource we developed features information on a range of topics that teachers/educational practitioners can work through at their own pace. It includes topics such as ‘Co-occurring Conditions’, ‘Understanding Behaviour’, ‘Individual Differences’, and ‘Support for Parents and Carers’.

The resource features informative text and infographics, videos from the research team, teachers, parents and an educational psychologist, links to further resources and reflective exercises. The content of the resource has been informed by research findings from various scientific studies, which can be accessed from the academic papers section.

The resource also has dedicated pages which signpost users to additional resources and useful support groups, both general and syndrome specific, that can enable users to identify further information and support resources.

We hope this resource will help teachers and educational practitioners to further develop their understanding of the ways that children with genetic syndromes can be supported in educational settings. Although the resource was designed primarily for education practitioners, others who support children with genetic syndromes may also find it useful, and it is therefore accessible to all.

The resource can be accessed via the following link: www.findteacherresources.co.uk

The launch event can be found here.”

 

Upcoming IMBES 2024 conference in Leuven, Belgium!

leuvenThe International Mind Brain and Education Society (IMBES) are thrilled to announce that the 2024 conference will be held from 10 – 12 July in Leuven, Belgium! The meeting will be jointly organised by IMBES and EARLI SIG 22.

The primary objective of this joint conference is to showcase cutting-edge research where the fields of neurosciences, educational sciences, developmental sciences, and cognitive sciences intersect. The overarching goal is to advance the current state of knowledge and foster meaningful dialogue between scientists, practitioners, and policy makers within the realm of mind, brain, and education.

IMBES are delighted to announce their distinguished keynote speakers for this event, namely Stanislas Dehaene (Unicog, Paris), Jennie Grammer (University of California LA, US), and Duncan Astle (University of Cambridge, UK).

 If you are interested, please mark your calendars with the following important deadlines:

Opening registrations: 15 January 2024
Abstract submission deadline: 1 February 2024
Author notification: 1 March 2024
Early bird registration deadline: 1 May 2024
Closing registrations: 26 June 2024
Conference dates: 10 – 12 July 2024

Should you have any questions or remarks about this conference, you can always reach the organisers at info@imbes2024.org. If you wish to stay informed about the IMBES 2024 updates, do not hesitate to subscribe to the mailing list and/or check out the website for more information!

What the researchers are talking about: A report on the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) conference 2023

The field of educational neuroscience has several key conferences where the latest findings are disseminated and discussed. One of those is the European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI). EARLI is an international scientific community which supports research in learning and instruction.

In August 2023, EARLI held their 20th Biennial Conference at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the University of Macedonia. In this blog, CEN member Lucy Palmer reports back on the main themes of the conference and some of the exciting debates, including a look to the future of education

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What was EARLI about this year?

This year, the conference theme was “Education as a Hope in Uncertain Times”. Over the last couple of years, rapidly changing technological advancements, fluctuating labour markets, population mobility, political instability and the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in unprecedented uncertainty for our societies. Consequently, it is important that education can adapt to support individuals facing these challenges and drive positive change through evidence based research.

The event was hosted in the vibrant, multicultural and historical metropolis of Thessaloniki, the second biggest city in Greece. Stroll along the seafront and you will see the famous umbrellas, created by Greek sculptor Giorgios Zongolopoulos in 1997 when Thessaloniki was the European Capital of Culture. Much like its host city, the EARLI 2023 conference was captivating and diverse, with over 2500 attendees from 60 countries, including 1054 academic institutions – the largest number of registrants the conference has seen to date.

With over 550 sessions to choose from over the four day conference, EARLI 2023 provided a plethora of thought-provoking symposia, in-depth discussions, informative talks and posters covering a large variety of research areas. Topics included assessment and evaluation, conceptual change, higher education, instructional design, motivation and emotion, special educational needs and learning and teaching in culturally diverse settings. Naturally, we were drawn to the talks relating to Educational Neuroscience!

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How Learning and Education Shape the Brain

The Neuroscience and Education symposium, “How learning and education shape the brain” explored the bi-directional process of how brain processes influence learning and vice versa. This symposium presented both cross sectional and longitudinal research exploring the mechanisms of brain changes as a result of learning, using a multitude of methods (e.g. electroencephalography, magnetic resonance imaging, genetic analysis) and learning topics (e.g. reading, science, maths, executive function) in both typical and atypical populations, as well as populations from the Global South.

Although we still have a long way to go in ensuring education research is generalisable and fully representative, it is encouraging to see an increase in awareness amongst researchers, educators and policymakers regarding the importance of conducting research in under-represented populations; a topic which arose throughout the conference.

The presentations in the Neuroscience and Education symposium demonstrated the pros and cons of using neuroimaging methods to better understand mechanisms of educational interventions.

For example, Professor Tzipi Horowitz (Technion- Israel Institute of Technology) shared her findings from an 8-week executive-function-based reading programme, which resulted in improved reading fluency and greater executive function skills in 8-12 year old children with dyslexia. Additionally, electroencephalography (EEG) data showed increased synchronization of neural circuits supporting visual and auditory modalities, as a result of the engagement of executive functions from the intervention. These findings support the ‘asynchrony’ theory between visual and auditory modalities in dyslexia.

On a similar note, Alexander Enge (Max Plank Institute of Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences) showed how brain responses to written words and spoken words change over time in individual children in rural parts of Northern India, in response to a literacy intervention. Although the work presented was preliminary, this lab showed how bi-monthly fMRI scans can be carried out in hard to reach populations, with the goal of understanding the mechanisms of the literacy intervention.

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We presented our promising findings from the Stop & Think intervention developed in the Centre for Educational Neuroscience (www.unlocke.org), as well as some of our follow-up working seeking to tease apart the mechanisms underpinning the successful intervention. At times, this has proven challenging because the tools are not best suited to our target population of 7-10 year olds. Here, we come up against the difficulties of using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to explore mechanisms of inhibitory control in these children – and how these skills can be trained – including the limitations of small sample sizes, drop out and methodological constraints such as scanner resolution and movement sensitivity.

Professor Gregoire Borst (Paris Cité University) presented a solution to some of these problems in the form of  multi-modal methods. This involves combining several different techniques, such as genetic, neuroimaging and behavioural methods, to understanding the mechanisms of inhibitory control training in 10-year-old children. Prof. Borst’s lab found that differences between children in how receptive they were to the inhibitory control training were linked to a combination of genetic, cognitive and anatomical factors.

Overall, this symposium presented a variety of studies on how the brain is influenced by educational interventions, while also demonstrating some of the challenges and solutions within this area of research.

There were also many interesting keynotes throughout the conference. For example, the renowned academic Professor Daniel Ansari (University of Western Ontario) presented his lab’s exceptional work on the developmental trajectory of mathematical skills using both behavioural and neuroimaging methods. Daniel recently presented some of his work in the CEN seminar series: see his talk on the CEN YouTube channel here.

If you are interested in learning more about the research presented at the conference, check out the EARLI website for abstracts and further information  (www.earli.org/events/earli2023).

The future of education panel discussion

As you’ve been reading this blog, I know the excitement has been building, and here it is at last: what did the EARLI conference have to say about the future of education?

Experts in research, policy and education reflected on the challenges for education in the digital era, how to promote education for human flourishing, and how to communicate evidence-based research. Four thought provoking themes leapt to the fore. Here they are (if you agree – or disagree – contribute your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below!)

  1. Which skills will be needed in the next 30 years and therefore need to be taught in educational settings? For example, will the skill of handwriting persist? With today’s technology, we can dictate to text, send a message electronically and have it read back to us by our devices. Which other skills will remain and which will become obsolete and how should we design the curriculum to adapt to these changes? Or will nostalgia for how education has always been hold us back from change?
  2. Are we currently teaching science in the right way? For instance, in formal education, we predominantly teach science as a series of facts. However, science is less about fact learning and more to do with creating hypotheses, asking questions, testing theories and critically analysing evidence. With the recent rise in fake news and unreliable knowledge exacerbated by social media, should we adapt our curriculum to improve the way we teach science and analyse information?
  3. Despite the overwhelming majority of education research being conducted in wealthy, western and well-educated populations, there is a small increase in research being conducted in under-represented populations, but how can we improve the inclusivity of our research and support education for individuals in contexts of severe poverty and without basic needs? In the panel discussion, the issue of rapidly changing political priorities was raised. For example, many programmes that are run to support children from disadvantaged backgrounds often rely on funding from government, but the funding can change depending on the political focus at the time. So how can we use research to create better outcomes for these children? There is no easy or quick solution to this problem, but by bringing people together to discuss these issues, we can raise awareness and influence funding and policymakers’ decisions to support these individuals.
  4. The final theme related to teacher education. When considering the future of education, we often think of how the curriculum can be adapted to support learners, but another major change involves how to best train teachers. What responsibility should universities take to prepare teachers for the future of education? What should be included in the teacher training and CPD curriculum?

In sum, the conference was an exciting hub of new research, discussions and debates about the past, present and future of education research. To find out more, check out the programme, or to sign up as a member click here!

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Update on MetaSENse: Evidence of increasing evaluation of ‘what works’ for students with SEND

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In this article, Professor Jo van Herwegen and her team give an update on the latest findings from the MetaSENse project which is revisiting the evidence base for effective interventions for students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND).

Background of the wider MetaSENse project

The number of pupils identified with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) continues to rise (DfE, 2021). Educational outcomes for those with SEND are often lower compared to those without SEND and this gap has become larger since 2020. This is likely due to the COVID-19 pandemic (Tuckett et al., 2022) and highlights the disparities for this population. Thus, it is important for parents, educators, specialist professionals and policymakers to understand the best evidence-based practice to raise educational outcomes in pupils with SEND.

The CEN’s MetaSENse[1] study, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, is synthesising evidence of what remediations work across different pupils with SEND aged 4 to 25. Technically, the project is focusing on “manualised” (i.e., has a published and accessible manual) targeted intervention approaches (either Tier 2 or Tier 3) that go beyond good quality teaching. Tier 2 interventions are often provided in small-group sessions in the classroom during independent work or during times that do not conflict with other critical content areas. Tier 3 provides intensive intervention sessions for individual students with more significant needs or whose needs are not sufficiently met by Tier 2 supports.

In phase 1 of the project, the team is carrying out a systematic review of the empirical literature, followed by a meta-analysis of the data. In addition to analysing of the quality of the evidence base, this meta-analysis will, for the first time, inform which Tier 2 and Tier 3 manualised interventions work best (that is, have largest effect sizes) in relation to different phases of education (preschool, primary, secondary, post-16), and in different educational contexts (special vs mainstream). And this is being done for each category of SEND needs. In phase 2, the team is using in-depth interviews with educational professionals to identify the barriers they face in implementing the most effective practices indicated by the aforementioned evidence.

The project will have a practical outcome: we will produce a toolkit featuring a database that can inform practitioners about the evidence-base underpinning different interventions for pupils with SEND, and which interventions to select in different contexts according to pupils’ needs. This will allow parents, educators, specialist professionals and policymakers to make evidence-informed decisions about how to raise educational outcomes for those with SEND in cost-effective ways. By the same token, it will inform the future research agenda of academics and relevant funders.

Update on our findings: the number of RCTs and QeDs included in MetaSENse

Randomised Control Trials (RCTs) are seen as the ‘gold standard’ way of evaluating what works. In RCTs participants are randomly assigned to one of two groups: the experimental group receiving the intervention or the control group which either receives the business-as-usual support in the classroom or another type of activity (named active control trial) that is not of interest.

Quasi-experimental designs (QeDs) are studies in which two groups of subjects are matched based on one or more characteristics and one group receives the intervention, whilst the other does not and receives either business as usual or an active control intervention. The difference with RCTs is that in QEDs the groups are not randomly allocated.

Together, these two types of study form the best kind of evidence that tell us how effective interventions for SEND are, in what populations and in what contexts.

In our systematic review, we began by collating all the research papers that reported the outcome of evaluating interventions to improve educational abilities in children with SEND. Using our pre-registered search protocol, we identified 55,564 records for title and abstract, which we then screened to evaluate their relevance. We then screened 4323 full texts, as well as full texts from clearing houses, organisations which write composite reports of evidence. From this set, we identified 533 records of studies that meet our inclusion criteria for the systematic review: over 500 studies to review! This initial work demonstrates that there are now a large number of studies that have examined Tier 2 and Tier 3 manualised interventions to improve educational outcomes for those with SEND.

How did we decide which studies to consider? The studies we considered were all published between 1st of January 2000 and 27/02/2023. We only included RCTs and QeDs that were published in peer-reviewed journals or dedicated websites of clearing houses and charities. Student dissertations held by universities were not included. Studies had to include a manualised intervention and report at least one educational outcome related to maths, reading, writing, science or overall attainment. We only included studies that focused on individuals with an existing diagnosis, or if the study screened for a diagnosis using normed assessments. Studies that only included students at risk for SEND based on teacher report or general attainment outcomes were not included, because this might target a much more heterogeneous population. Finally, studies could be completed in any country as long as the text was available in English.

What have we found so far? As can be seen from Figure 1 below, there has been a steady increase in the number of studies that have evaluated which interventions work to improve educational outcomes for students with SEND. Despite the steady increase in study numbers, it is important to note that this represents research globally.

The next step is to extract findings from these studies and use statistics to characterise the overall patterns – an analysis of the analyses, otherwise known as a meta-analysis. We have only completed data extraction for 25% of all studies and so far, have identified relatively few studies that have been carried out in the UK. In addition, the number of RCTs and QeDs alone does not yet tell us anything about the quality of the evidence and whether this has improved over time. So, with data extraction and quality analysis of more than 350 studies still to go… watch this space!

Our interim finding, however, is that there is an encouraging increase over time in the number of studies applying the best evidence-based approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of educational interventions for children with SEND.

Figure 1. Number of studies per publication year for MetaSENse:  All studies include RCTs or QeDs related to improving educational outcomes for those with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities.

metasense-im2

 

More about MetaSENse

You can find out more about the MetaSENse study and research team here: MetaSENse

The metaSENse study is funded by the Nuffield Foundation: The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being. It funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare, and Justice. It also funds student programmes that provide opportunities for young people to develop skills in quantitative and scientific methods. The Nuffield Foundation is the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. The Foundation has funded this project, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation. Visit www.nuffieldfoundation.org

 

[1] Raising educational outcomes for pupils with SEN and disabilities (MetaSENse)

References

DfE, June 2021: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/special-educational-needs-in-england#releaseHeadlines-dataBlock-tables

Tuckett, S. et al., (2022). COVID-19 and Disadvantage Gaps in England 2021. Education Policy Institute, https://epi.org.uk/