Educational neuroscience and EFL instruction in higher education in Israel: English teachers’ beliefs in neuromyths and their reported impact on teaching practices
Goldberg, Algina (Leah)
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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/124201
Description
Title
Educational neuroscience and EFL instruction in higher education in Israel: English teachers’ beliefs in neuromyths and their reported impact on teaching practices
Author(s)
Goldberg, Algina (Leah)
Issue Date
2024-03-14
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Kalantzis, Mary
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Cope, William
Committee Member(s)
Lane, H. Chad
Zhang, Jinming
Department of Study
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Discipline
Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ed.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
Educational neuroscience
neuromyths, EFL
teacher beliefs
teaching practices
higher education
Israel
Abstract
The growing interest in educational neuroscience gave rise to the so-called neuromyths or false beliefs about the brain (Dekker et al., 2012; Pasquinelli, 2012). While the prevalence of neuromyths among teachers has been established around the world, the research on the proliferation of neuromyths among English teachers specifically is limited, and non-existent in Israel. This study used a mixed methods design to explore the beliefs in the most popular neuromyths and their impact on English language instruction in higher education in Israel. The data were collected via an online survey (n=37) and in-depth interviews (n=16) using voluntary response sampling. The results revealed that despite the high rate of belief in neuromyths, they had little impact on teaching practices. Knowledge about the brain was used to enhance memory, metacognition, provide different input modes, attend to emotions, and help students with learning disabilities. This study concluded that the introduction of educational neuroscience into the English classroom depends on teacher training that imparts practical, observable practices and the efforts to investigate the link between beliefs about the brain and teaching practices.
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