Abstract:

Neuromyths are erroneous beliefs about the functioning of the brain that can influence decision-making and perceptions of reality about the human body and its proper functioning. Their importance in society lies in their impact on opinion formation, educational policies and pedagogical practices. We consider it crucial to demystify them in order to promote critical thinking based on scientific evidence, improve the quality of education and foster a more accurate understanding of the brain and its relationship to meaningful learning. The research conducted at the University of Salamanca focused on analysing the prevalence of neuromyths among prospective pre-school and primary school teachers, specifically students of the subject Mind, Body and Education. The neuromyth prevalence questionnaire developed by Dekker et al. was used, in its Spanish version adapted for the study with 21 items. The results revealed that among the most prevalent neuromyths in the sample is the belief that stimulus-rich environments improve brain development in preschool children (80%), while at the same time the idea that cognitive abilities are only inherited and cannot be modified by the environment or life experiences is considered erroneous (77.6%). The conclusions highlight the importance of initiating a debate on the need to update the training of future teachers, including basic neuroscience content applied to education. It is essential for educators to be informed and updated on advances in neuroscience in order to be able to apply effective pedagogical strategies based on scientific evidence. This study highlights the relevance of providing teachers with tools to demystify erroneous beliefs about how the brain works and its relationship to learning, thus promoting more informed and effective teaching.

Keywords:

Neuromyths, brain development, cognitive abilities, university students, neurosciences.