This report presents findings from literature about what teachers believe about how students learn: the prevalence of myths about learning, to what extent these myths inform practice, and what research there is to suggest teachers understand the facts about how students learn best.
In terms of teacher knowledge and beliefs, the report finds:
Teachers value brain-based knowledge, but this includes myths about learning.
The belief that students have a ‘learning style’ that means they learn better if taught in line with that ‘style’ is widely held globally, including by clear majorities of Australian teachers.
The belief that students can be left-brain or right-brain dominant is also very common globally, and held by around half of Australian teachers. Other common myths include the idea that physical coordination exercises improve mental coordination, and that people only use 10% of their brains.
Belief in learning myths can inform practice, but the relationship is not clear cut.
Specific studies on certain neuromyths such as learning styles and hemispheric dominance suggest teachers do self-report incorporating myths into their teaching practice, but this differs based on the myth in question and the age group of students taught.
An Australian study showed 35% of early childhood teachers incorporated left- and right-brain learners into their practice, compared to 29% for primary and only 20% of secondary.
The same study asked participants about incorporating physical activity into the teaching of literacy, and results were much higher for early childhood (88%) and primary education (85%) than for secondary education (53%). Evidence that teachers have science of learning knowledge is limited. ‘Science of learning-related knowledge’ refers to the growing body of knowledge drawn from cognitive psychology with direct implications for teaching.
A handful of studies explored questions relating to attention and learning, working memory and its limits, memory systems and long-term memory, retention, recall and testing, spaced, massed and interleaved practice, prior knowledge, inquiry/project-based learning and explicit teaching, and problem-solving and critical thinking.
Results varied across these topics (except for prior knowledge, where responses were generally accurate) but in most cases the strength of evidence behind a given principle was not matched by knowledge of it among educators, and views were often polarised despite a consensus of evidence.
In terms of what policymakers need to focus on next, the report finds concerted efforts are required to build up coherent mental models among Australian teachers, ensuring learning myths are rejected and teacher knowledge is consistently based on evidence about how students learn.