Background: Neuromyths are commonly held misconceptions about the brain, often generated by a misunderstanding of scientifically established facts. To date, limited research has explored the pervalence of neuromyths about neurodevelopmental disorders in the teacher population. Method: The current study investigated the prevalence of teachers’ general and neurodevelopmental neuromyths among 820 Italian teachers. Results: Italian teachers correctly identified 73% of general neuromyths and 70% of neurodevelopmental neuromyths. The difference between general and neurodevelopmental neuromyths endorsement was significant. Frequency of accessing relevant information emerged as a protective factor. A mediation analysis showed that higher need for cognition was significantly associated with a higher frequency of accessing relevant information about the brain, which in turn led to lower endorsement of neuromyths. Conclusion: In line with our findings, we suggest that teachers can benefit from neuroeducation initiatives aimed to enhance neuroscience literacy in both the initial education and continuous professional development of teachers.
Neuromyths: Misconceptions about neurodevelopment by Italian teachers / Bei, Eva; Argiropoulos, Dimitris; Van Herwegen, Jo; Incognito, Oriana; Menichetti, Laura; Tarchi, Christian; Pecini, Chiara. - In: TRENDS IN NEUROSCIENCE AND EDUCATION. - ISSN 2211-9493. - ELETTRONICO. - 34:(2024), pp. 1-12. [10.1016/j.tine.2023.100219]
Neuromyths: Misconceptions about neurodevelopment by Italian teachers
Bei, Eva
Primo
;Argiropoulos, Dimitris;Pecini, Chiara
2024
Abstract
Background: Neuromyths are commonly held misconceptions about the brain, often generated by a misunderstanding of scientifically established facts. To date, limited research has explored the pervalence of neuromyths about neurodevelopmental disorders in the teacher population. Method: The current study investigated the prevalence of teachers’ general and neurodevelopmental neuromyths among 820 Italian teachers. Results: Italian teachers correctly identified 73% of general neuromyths and 70% of neurodevelopmental neuromyths. The difference between general and neurodevelopmental neuromyths endorsement was significant. Frequency of accessing relevant information emerged as a protective factor. A mediation analysis showed that higher need for cognition was significantly associated with a higher frequency of accessing relevant information about the brain, which in turn led to lower endorsement of neuromyths. Conclusion: In line with our findings, we suggest that teachers can benefit from neuroeducation initiatives aimed to enhance neuroscience literacy in both the initial education and continuous professional development of teachers.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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