Education and the Brain: A Bridge Too Far

Abstract

B rain science fascinates teachers and educators, just as it fascinates all of us. When I speak to teachers about applications of cognitive science in the classroom, there is always a question or two about the right brain ver-sus the left brain and the educational promise of brain-based curricula. I answer that these ideas have been around for a decade, are often based on misconceptions and overgeneralizations of what we know about the brain, and have little to offer to educators (Chipman, 1986). Educa-tional applications of brain science may come eventually, but as of now neuroscience has little to offer teachers in terms of informing classroom practice. There is, however, a science of mind, cognitive science, that can serve as a basic science for the development of an applied science of learn-ing and instruction. Practical, well-founded examples of putting cognitive science into practice already exist in nu-merous schools and classrooms. Teachers would be better