Neuro Clips April 29, 2014

April 19 – 29, 2014

News Clips:

Teachers' scare tactics may lead to lower exam scores

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140421093728.htm

Summary: Recent study found that based on student responses, teacher messages that focus heavily on the consequences associated with failure on exams felt more threatened. These students also felt less motivated and scored lower than students of teachers who used fewer scare tactics.

Criminal behavior: Older siblings strongly sway younger siblings close in age

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140428121435.htm

Summary: Recent study suggests “social transmission” of violent behavior from older siblings to younger siblings that are close in age.

Simply being called 'fat' makes young girls more likely to become obese: Trying to be thin is like trying to be tall

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140428164115.htm

Summary: New study finds that girls who were told they were fat at age 10 by a parent, sibling, classmate, friend, or teacher were 10 times more likely to be obese at age 19.

E-games for kids: How to avoid the dangers

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140429085359.htm

Summary: Researchers discuss the health and wellness risks associated with kids’ high usage of e-games through a variety of platforms that include tablets, handheld game consoles, and smartphones. In developed countries, kids spend between 4 and 8 hours per day using screen based electronic media.

Overlap in genes altered in schizophrenia, autism, intellectual disability

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140429085600.htm

Summary: Recent study explores the theory that the pathology of schizophrenia, autism, and intellectual disability is linked to malfunction of the same 5 genes. The focus of the study was de novo mutations, which are gene defects that occur in offspring that neither parent possesses.

Girls make higher grades than boys in all school subjects, analysis finds

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140429104957.htm

Summary: Researchers examined studies of school performance from 1914 through 2011 in 30 countries. Study samples included 538,710 boys and 595,332 girls. Findings suggest that grades have been consistently higher for females over the span of decades without significant change.

Music Lessons Combat Poverty's Effect on the Brain

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/music-lessons-combat-povertys-effect-on-the-brain/

Summary: Recent study measures auditory abilities in 14 and 15 year olds grouped by socioeconomic status. Low SES was associated with weaker and more variable neural activity as well as lower scores on tests of reading and working memory. Based on results from another study examining neural responses in mature adults with musical training, the researchers propose that music training should be considered as a potential intervention to improve auditory deficits for children from low SES backgrounds.

Is misused neuroscience defining early years and child protection policy?

http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/apr/26/misused-neuroscience-defining-child-protection-policy

Summary: Author discusses neuroscience as it relates to early child development and the implications for policy impacting child protection services for abused and neglected children.

Tablets and the future of education

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sponsor-story/dell/2014/04/28/dell-tablets-in-education/8420627/

Summary: Article highlights the utilization of tablets in the classroom to enhance and compliment learning.

Learning With Disabilities: One Effort To Shake Up The Classroom

http://www.npr.org/2014/04/27/307467382/learning-with-disabilities-one-effort-to-shake-up-the-classroom

Summary: Story discusses the efforts of a San Francisco middle school to shift instruction for students with disabilities to be more consistent with the inclusion model.

Disaster Survivors: How Stress Changes the Brain

http://www.livescience.com/45213-disaster-survivors-stress-changes-brain.html

Summary: Recent study finds structural changes in the brain following the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. The structural changes were found to be dynamic and changing. Self-esteem was linked to reversed structural changes. Researchers propose the likely importance of self-esteem in resiliency following stressful and traumatic events.

Neuro Clips April 18, 2014

April 12 – 18, 2014

News Clips:

Young people with epilepsy at significantly more risk of injury

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140414091901.htm

Summary: Recent research findings suggest that children with epilepsy are at greater risk for accidents such as broken bones, burns, and poisoning due to drug overdose.

Teaching to optimize learning or control misbehavior? Scale of disruptive behavior in schools seriously underestimated

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140414092004.htm

Summary: 4 studies over the span of 10 years explore the severity of the classroom disruptions using a 10 level scale that ranges from level 10 – climate completely conducive to learning and level 1 – learning severely limited. Surveyed teacher responses indicate that the true impact of classroom disruption on student learning is vastly underestimated. The article explores the study findings and the potential implications.

Detrimental effects of television viewing on sleep in young children

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140414092117.htm

Summary: Recent study examined the sleep patterns of 1,800 children between the ages of 6 months and 8 years. Study findings suggested an association between increased television viewing and shorter sleep duration. Also, sleeping with a television in the room was associated with less overall sleep time, particularly in minority children.

Classifying cognitive styles across disciplines

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417124515.htm

Summary: Researchers aim to bridge approaches from different disciplines to define cognitive styles using a new framework. This framework incorporates psychology and neuroscience to discuss individual differences in processing as well as environmental factors.

Loud talking, horseplay in car results in more serious incidents for teen drivers

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417141952.htm

Summary: Recent study of teen drivers found that although teens were less likely to engage in distracting behaviors while driving (such as texting or eating), passengers distracted them. Findings suggest that serious incidents were more related to conditions outside of the teen driver’s control.

Inhibited children become anxious adults: Examining the causes and effects of early shyness

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417155901.htm

Summary: Article explores the evolution of research about childhood temperament that later becomes adolescent or adult anxiety. The article discusses potential brain structure and behavior relationships and other research topics that could have potential benefits for the development of therapeutic interventions.

Impact of childhood bullying still evident after 40 years

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417212510.htm

Summary: Recent study examined the potential social, mental and physical impacts of childhood bullying in adulthood. Study findings suggest that individuals who were bullied in childhood were more likely to have poorer physical and psychological health and cognitive functioning at age 50. Also, individuals who were frequently bullied in childhood were at an increased risk of depression, anxiety disorders, and suicidal thoughts.

'I spy' used to show spoken language helps direct children's eyes

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417090838.htm

Summary: Recent study examines the use of language to activate student memory and attention. Study findings suggest that language activates children’s cognitive system making it easier for them to make sense of visual images.

Study: Half of Jailed NYC Youths Have Brain Injury

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/wireStory/study-half-jailed-nyc-youths-brain-injury-23385387

Summary: Recent study of NYC juvenile offenders found that nearly half of them (boys and girls) reported traumatic brain injury prior to being incarcerated. Article discusses the need for enhanced correctional officer training and potential policy implications.

I Listened To Music Based On Neuroscience To Help Focus — And My Productivity Soared

http://www.businessinsider.com/neuroscience-music-2014-4

Summary: Article discusses new neuroscience-based music streaming service that offers playlists that target lengthening attention span. The service also reports that it helps retain information.

Article Review - Skills underlying mathematics: The role of executive function in the development of mathematics proficiency

Cragg, L., Gilmore, C. Skills underlying mathematics: The role of executive function in the development of mathematics proficiency. Trends in Neuroscience and Education (2014), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tine.2013.12.001i

Background:

An understanding of the mechanisms underlying the processes involved in learning and performing mathematics is essential in order to improve mathematics achievement. Currently 21% of 11-year-olds exit primary school without reaching a developmentally appropriate mathematics level, and 5% fail to achieve numeracy skills expected from a 7-year-old. Additionally, about 20% of adults have numeracy skills that fall below that which is required for everyday situations. Aside from factors such as attitude; motivation; language ability; IQ, and social and educational factors; executive function cognitive skills are related to mathematics performance.

Purpose:

To review the existing body of literature and to synthesize current knowledge about executive function skills relative to mathematics performance as well as identify questions for future research.

Definitions:

Executive Function Skills – skills required to monitor and control thought and action; Working Memory – skill of holding and manipulating information in mind; Inhibition – ability to suppress distracting information and unwanted responses; Shifting – ability to flexibly switch attention between different tasks

Key Points:

Studies suggest that children with mathematics disabilities have difficulty with central executive components of working memory, specifically when numerical information such as digit span is involved. While working memory is known to predict mathematics performance, the relationship requires further investigation. Studies also suggest that inhibitory control predicts mathematics performance, but the body of literature is limited. Shifting abilities’ impact on mathematics is unclear although one study found it to be a predictor of mathematics performance. 

The impact of executive function on mathematics performance is complex. Studies suggest that different mathematics components rely on different sets of executive function skills. For instance, working memory was found to be relation to fraction computation, but not a predictor of the conceptual understanding of fractions. Also, inhibition has been linked to the application of additive concepts.

Children appear to rely on executive function skills at different extents depending on developmental age in mathematics performance. They also appear to differ from adults in their reliance on working memory when solving arithmetic problems. These findings possibly suggest the use of different arithmetic strategies, such as retrieval, counting, and decomposition; and less automatic processing resources.

Some studies have examined executive function skills relative to the learning of new mathematical material. They have shown that executive function skills predict mathematics performance in subsequent years. Some studies have also examined the role of training in mathematics learning. Training has been found to lead to an improvement in working memory skills and mental arithmetic, but has no impact on mathematics achievement. Other studies found that domain-specific training improved counting skills.

Conclusions:

The mechanisms of executive function skills that support the acquisition and skilled application of mathematics remain uncertain. The integration of both domain-general and domain-specific skills in theoretical frameworks about the development of mathematics proficiency is necessary. Further research is needed to better predict the relationships between the executive function skills: working memory, inhibition, and shifting; and the components of mathematical knowledge: facts, procedures, and concepts. These components also need to be investigated in different age groups.

Implications:

Overall, the studies presented suggest that children’s executive function skills predict their mathematics performance and impact their ability to learn new mathematical material. These findings cannot yet be generalized in a way that extends directly into the classroom setting. There is a strong need for further investigation in these areas in order to inform and influence classroom practice.

Questions Raised:

Do children differ from adults in their reliance on working memory when utilizing the same arithmetic strategies, or do they use different arithmetic strategies altogether?

Article Review - Neurosience and education: prime time to build the bridge

Sigman, M., Peña, M., Goldin, A. P., Ribeiro, S. (2014). Neuroscience and education: Prime time to build the bridge. Nature Neuroscience, 17(4), 497-502.

Background:

The suggestion that there should be a bridge between neuroscience and education has received scrutiny. Scholars have argued that the functional and structural brain components relative to learning and information processing do not benefit or inform teaching practices.

Purpose:

The article aim was to provide justification for why neuroscience and cognitive neuroscience both are relevant for important educational implications and should used as complements of one another. 

Definitions:

Neuroscience – the study of the structure and function of the nervous system and the brain; Cognitive Psychology – the study of mental processes such as attention, language, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity and thinking

Key Points:

Neuroscience has the potential to contribute to understanding the physiology of education. The main physiological areas of interests include nutrition, sleep, and exercise as they all influence learning. Also, neuroscience has a role in the study of preverbal language development in infants, which can lend toward early intervention for deaf children. Structural and functional differences between bi-linguists and mono-linguists suggest the importance of neuroscience to the examination of language acquisition. Neuroscience also offers understanding the reading process such as the significance of eye movements, reading time and the distinction between the letters and the whole word. Dyslexics, for instance suffer from a difficulty in breaking words down into letters. Also, neuroscience has found that dyslexics show hypo-activation in the area linked to auditory and visual processes.

Conclusion/Implications: There are five proposed pillars to optimize the dialogue between neuroscience and non-scientists. (1) Educational neuroscience contributes the practical and ethical link between neurobiology and education, but should heed to recommendations of when and where neuroscience can be relevant to education. (2) There is a need for field studies that examine the validity of neuroscience theories in the classroom for the benefit of teachers, principals, and decision makers; so neuroscientists should expand the realm of their studies. (3) Education should be a source of inspiration for neuroscience research, with an integration of teachers’ knowledge to expand experimental designs. (4) Brain concepts should be incorporated as a part of teacher’s professional training and development. (5) Investments should be made to promote the development of capable students to progress the investigation of the links between education, cognition, and brain function.

Questions Raised: Can sleep in a room shared with other students be as efficient for learning as sleep in a quiet laboratory room? How do naps interact with other variables such as nutrition, exercise, and levels of intrinsic motivation? How do neuroscience findings help a teacher deal with a dyslexic child? What sort of transformation elicits this type of learning (the shift from a non-reader to literacy) in the brain and what material is optimal for this learning process?
 

Article Review - Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout, and teaching efficacy

Flook, L., Goldberg, S. B., Pinger, L., Bonus, K., Davidson, R. J. (2013). Mindfulness for teachers: A pilot study to assess effects on stress, burnout, and teaching efficacy. Mind, Brain, and Education, 7(3), 182-195.

Background: Public schools suffer from rising rates in teacher turnover, which is often attributed to burnout. Stresses such as time demands, workload, organizational factors, and student disruptions; can impact teachers’ ability to be responsive and effective in the classroom. Teachers likely do not seek stress reduction treatment from mental health providers, so the provision of resources in school is important.

Purpose: To compare the effects of mindfulness training by comparing teachers who were randomly assigned to either the intervention or control group and by using multiple methods of measurement.   

Hypothesis: Mindfulness training will be associated with reduced burnout and psychological symptoms, increased mindfulness, and improved performance on attention and emotion-related tasks, as well as more effective classroom teaching practices.

Definitions: Mindfulness – a stress reduction technique that targets attention and emotion processing by training individuals to pay attention to the present moment, on purpose, and without judgment; Burnout – three dimensions of burnout assessed included emotional exhaustion, depersonalization, and personal accomplishment; Teacher Classroom Behavior – three dimensions of teacher behavior assessed included emotional support, classroom organization, and instructional support.

Selection: 18 (16 female, mean age 43.06 years, avg years teaching 12.83 years, avg teaching at current school 7.69 years) public elementary school teachers recruited from medium-sized Midwestern city representing four predominantly low income and racial or ethnic minority schools. 10 participants were randomized into the intervention group and 8 were randomized into the control group.

Methods: Pretest data collection occurred over the course of 4 weeks in the areas of mindfulness self-compassion, teacher classroom behavior, burnout, cortisol measurement, neuropsychological and attention tasks. Mindfulness intervention occurred over the course of 8 weeks. During the course of those weeks, participants completed weekly practice logs and recorded the number of minutes per day spent engaging in formal and informal mindfulness practice. Posttest data collection occurred over the course of the next 3 weeks.

Results: Both groups showed improvements on the mindfulness FFMQ observe subscale and in performance on the task of sustained intervention. The mindfulness intervention group showed significantly decreases psychological distress and burnout. The intervention group also performed better in observer rated classroom behavior and recorded higher levels of self-compassion.

Conclusion: The results of the study suggest the potential benefits of mindfulness training adapted for educators. Mindfulness training has the potential to promote teacher well-being as well as facilitate behavior changes that improve the classroom environment for elementary school teachers.

Limitations: The study is limited because it includes a predominantly female sample of European American decent.  

Strengths: The use of multiple methods provides strong support the improvements associated with mindfulness training.

Implications: The utilization of mindfulness training adapted for educators as a part of professional development could potentially improve educational practices and the quality of instruction provided. Mindfulness training also has the potential to reduce teacher turnover rates.

Future Research: Further research in a larger national sample would be useful to examine the efficacy of such programming. Also, the combination of teacher and student training could explore the effects on the classroom environment.