Brain-compatible teaching techniques:The Viewpoints of Elementary School Teachers in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Lin, Yu-I, 林瑜一
• Other Authors: Shing, Marn-Ling
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2013
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/10107368790233849772

博士 === 臺北市立教育大學 === 教育學系博士班 === 101 === The knowledge derived from psychology and neurology about how our human brain works in learning has been widely discussed in recent decades. Application of this knowledge to learning and teaching is called brain-compatible learning and teaching, respectively. This research conducts an empirical study about brain-compatible learning and teaching in some elementary schools in Taiwan to explore their feasibility and limitation. Using the executive function of human brain as an example, this research conducts a series of quasi-experiments to explore three dependent variables, namely, D1: the students’ learning achievement, D2: their executive function performance, and D3: their temperament, in relation to two independent variables, namely, I1: whether their teachers possess brain-based knowledge within 450 minutes of training (I1+) or not (I1-), and whether the students have been trained with executive function related activities in eight weeks (I2+) or not (I2-). Based on purposive sampling, this research selected the 2nd-grade students from four elementary schools in Taipei area, with each school having four classes in the experiments. One way ANCOVA and Johnson-Neyman method were used for the analysis and exploration. The findings include: 1. Regarding to the students’ learning achievement (D1), there is no statistically significant difference between D1 and I1, as well as D1 and I2. However, D1 seems better for those students with I1- and I2+. 2. Regarding to the performance of the students’ executive function (D2): i. For the inhibition function and updating function under the executive function, there is no statistically significant difference between the performance of the inhibition function and updating function and I1, as well as I2. ii. For the shifting function under the executive function, I2+ takes effect for those students with worse pre-test of the shifting function. However, I1+ positively affects the students with better pre-test performance. iii. For the complex executive function, I2+ takes effect for those students with better pre-test of the complex executive function. However, I1+ positively affects the students with worse pre-test performance. 3. Regarding the students’ temperament (D3), there is no statistically significant difference between D3 and I1, as well as D3 and I2. However, D3 seems better for those students with I1- and I2+. Suggestions for practical brain-compatible learning and teaching and recommendations for future studies are proposed based on the literature survey and the experiment findings.