On learning, brains, and zombies

In her introduction to the May 1999 issue of this magazine, Pauline Gough, then Kappan’s editor, made “a plea for informed skepticism” about so-called brain-based approaches to K-12 education. The learning sciences had begun to make rapid and often stunning progress (which the National Academies of Science had shared with the public just a few weeks earlier, with the release of the landmark report How People Learn). However, Gough cautioned, neuroscientists had not yet built “a solid bridge from the lab to the classroom.” Until they did so, she argued, educators should be wary of anyone who claims to have figured out how brain research translates to the work of teaching in schools.

So where do things stand today, nearly two decades later (and, appropriately enough, just weeks after the release of How People Learn II)? Have the learning sciences progressed to the point where they can reliably inform teaching practice, much as the medical sciences inform the practice of doctors?

While Gough’s plea for informed skepticism continues to resonate, I find myself leaning toward cautious optimism. The contributors to this issue of Kappan make a convincing case that brain research — along with research in cognitive, social, and developmental psychology — has moved far past the realm of laboratory-based speculation to produce many actionable findings that can and should inform classroom practice. Given not just the strength but also the usefulness of what researchers have learned about memory, attention, motivation, emotional regulation, social development, language processing, and more, it would be irresponsible not to weave this material more fully into the preparation and professional development of educators.