Abstract:

The belief in neuromyths is widespread in the world, and it is claimed that teachers can apply neuromyths to their teaching practices and thus have a negative impact on students. Worldwide, research on teachers' belief in neuromyths has been carried out in various countries and numerous international studies show that both pre-service and in-service teachers as well as university educators endorse misconceptions on the topic of learning. The aim of the study was to identify the factors influencing teachers' belief in neuromyths and their interrelationships in the teaching process. The results of the survey revealed factors influencing teachers' belief in neuromyths. Belief in neuromyths was related to a more intuitive (compared to an analytical) thinking style, a stronger need for cognitive closure, a simpler view of epistemic cognition, endorsement of a fixed mindset, and it was inversely related to scientific literacy. These findings suggest that belief in neuromyths is a multifaceted phenomenon and that interventions to foster public understanding of neuroscience could be aimed at affecting thinking styles.

Keywords:

Factors influencing teachers' belief in neuromyths, neuromyths, educational science.