The Prevalence and Usage of “Neuromyths” Among German in-Service- and Pre-Service Teachers – Compared to Neuroscience Specialists and the General Public

Abstract

In the educational context, there are numerous “neuromyths” about how findings from neuroscience can be used to improve teaching and learning. International research has shown that the majority of teachers tend to believe in these and use them in the classroom. Since the belief in neuromyths might not enhance or even have adverse effects on students' learning, teachers need to be able to identify neuromyths. We examined the prevalence of beliefs in neuromyths among German in-service and pre-service teachers—compared to the prevalence among people with a certain expertise in neuroscience (“specialists”) or no connection to neuroscience (“general public”). A sample of 247 participants completed a German adaptation of the neuromyth questionnaire by Dekker et al. (2012). The results show that German teachers believe the majority of neuromyths to be true. Compared to teachers and the general public, specialists were more accurate in identifying neuromyths. About half of the in-service teachers reported that they generally use neuroscientific principles in the classroom—at least some of which seem to be based on NM. Possible approaches to disrupt neuromyths are discussed.