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Hoferichter F, Raufelder D. Mind, brain and education-Neuromechanisms during child development. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024. [PMID: 38886131 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2024] [Revised: 06/03/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Educational neuroscience has emerged as an interdisciplinary field aimed at elucidating the neurobiological underpinnings of learning and educational outcomes. By synthesizing findings from diverse research endeavours, this Editorial aims to delineate the intricate interplay between neural processes and educational experiences, shedding light on the factors that shape cognitive development and learning trajectories in children. RESULTS This Editorial highlights significant advancements, spanning investigations into neural mechanisms, cognitive development and educational interventions on the basis of four exemplary topics and their effects on academic learning and achievement: student's academic self-concept, (cyber-)bullying, reading skills/dyslexia and a growth mindset intervention. Summaries of the four empirical contributions in this special issue are presented and discussed in relation to how they provide insight into the dynamic interplay between neural mechanisms and environmental influences, underscoring the role of early experiences in sculpting brain development and shaping educational outcomes. Furthermore, the integration of neuroscientific techniques (e.g., fMRI, eye-tracking) with educational research methodologies has provided novel insights into the neural correlates of learning processes, executive functions and socio-emotional development during childhood. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, the pivotal role of Educational Neuroscience in bridging the gap between neuroscience and education is highlighted. By elucidating the neurobiological foundations of learning, this interdisciplinary field offers valuable insights for informing evidence-based educational practices and interventions tailored to individual learning profiles. Moving forward, continued collaboration between researchers, educators and policymakers is essential to harnessing the full potential of Educational Neuroscience in promoting cognitive growth and academic success across diverse learner populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frances Hoferichter
- Institute of Educational Science, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Diana Raufelder
- Institute of Educational Science, University of Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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Grootjans Y, Harrewijn A, Fornari L, Janssen T, de Bruijn ERA, van Atteveldt N, Franken IHA. Getting closer to social interactions using electroencephalography in developmental cognitive neuroscience. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2024; 67:101391. [PMID: 38759529 PMCID: PMC11127236 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/19/2024] Open
Abstract
The field of developmental cognitive neuroscience is advancing rapidly, with large-scale, population-wide, longitudinal studies emerging as a key means of unraveling the complexity of the developing brain and cognitive processes in children. While numerous neuroscientific techniques like functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) have proved advantageous in such investigations, this perspective proposes a renewed focus on electroencephalography (EEG), leveraging underexplored possibilities of EEG. In addition to its temporal precision, low costs, and ease of application, EEG distinguishes itself with its ability to capture neural activity linked to social interactions in increasingly ecologically valid settings. Specifically, EEG can be measured during social interactions in the lab, hyperscanning can be used to study brain activity in two (or more) people simultaneously, and mobile EEG can be used to measure brain activity in real-life settings. This perspective paper summarizes research in these three areas, making a persuasive argument for the renewed inclusion of EEG into the toolkit of developmental cognitive and social neuroscientists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yvette Grootjans
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
| | - Anita Harrewijn
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Laura Fornari
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology & Institute LEARN!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Tieme Janssen
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology & Institute LEARN!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | | | - Nienke van Atteveldt
- Department of Clinical, Neuro, and Developmental Psychology & Institute LEARN!, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Ingmar H A Franken
- Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands
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Puusepp I, Tammi T, Linnavalli T, Huotilainen M, Laine S, Kuusisto E, Tirri K. Changes in physiological arousal during an arithmetic task: profiles of elementary school students and their associations with mindset, task performance and math grade. Sci Rep 2024; 14:1606. [PMID: 38238409 PMCID: PMC10796377 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-51683-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Task-related change in physiological arousal is suggested to reflect active involvement with the task. While studies often examine such task-related changes in arousal as averaged across the entire task, the present study focused on temporal changes in arousal during a task. More specifically, we investigated changes in elementary school students' physiological arousal during an arithmetic task and associations between these changes and students' mindset, performance on the task, and math grades. We used a person-oriented approach to analyze the tonic electrodermal activity of 86 fourth graders, recorded while they were working on an arithmetic task. With model-based clustering of students' on-task electrodermal activity, we identified three groups of students with differing temporal dynamics of physiological arousal during the task: Increasing Arousal, Decreasing Arousal and Decreasing and Increasing Arousal. The Decreasing Arousal profile contained more students classified as holding a Fixed Mindset Tendency than would be expected if physiological profile membership and mindset tendency were independent. The Increasing Arousal profile performed better on the task than the Decreasing Arousal profile. No association was found with math grades. These results provide a new insight into individual differences in temporal patterns of on-task physiological arousal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ita Puusepp
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Tuisku Tammi
- Cognitive Science, Department of Digital Humanities, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tanja Linnavalli
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, Helsinki, Finland
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minna Huotilainen
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, Helsinki, Finland
- Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre of Excellence in Music, Mind, Body and Brain, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sonja Laine
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Elina Kuusisto
- Faculty of Education and Culture, Tampere University, Tampere, Finland
| | - Kirsi Tirri
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Siltavuorenpenger 5 A, Helsinki, Finland
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Nieuwenhuis S, van der Mee DJ, Janssen TWP, Verstraete LLL, Meeter M, van Atteveldt NM. Growth mindset and school burnout symptoms in young adolescents: the role of vagal activity as potential mediator. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1176477. [PMID: 37519400 PMCID: PMC10374320 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1176477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Experiencing school burnout symptoms can have negative consequences for learning. A growth mindset, the belief that human qualities such as intelligence are malleable, has previously been correlated with fewer school burnout symptoms in late adolescents. This might be because adolescents with a stronger growth mindset show more adaptive self-regulation strategies and thereby increasing resilience against academic setbacks. Here we confirmed in a sample of 426 Dutch young adolescents (11-14 years old; 48% female) that this relationship between growth mindset and school burnout symptoms holds after controlling for other potential predictors of school burnout symptoms such as academic achievement, school track, gender, and socio-economic status. Our second aim was to increase our understanding of the mechanism underlying the relation between mindset and school burnout, by measuring physiological resilience (vagal activity, a measure of parasympathetic activity, also known as heart rate variability or HRV) in a subsample (n = 50). We did not find any relation between vagal activity and growth mindset or school burnout symptoms, nor could we establish a mediating effect of vagal activity in their relation. In conclusion, we found evidence for a potential protective effect of a growth mindset on school burnout symptoms in young adolescents, but not for physiological resilience (vagal activity) as an underlying mechanism. The protective effect of growth mindset as confirmed in our younger sample can be leveraged in interventions to prevent increasing school burnout symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Smiddy Nieuwenhuis
- Section Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Denise J. van der Mee
- Section Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Tieme W. P. Janssen
- Section Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Leonie L. L. Verstraete
- Section Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Martijn Meeter
- LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - Nienke M. van Atteveldt
- Section Clinical, Neuro and Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Institute for Brain and Behavior Amsterdam, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
- LEARN! Research Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
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Janssen TWP, van Atteveldt N. Coping styles mediate the relation between mindset and academic resilience in adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic: a randomized controlled trial. Sci Rep 2023; 13:6060. [PMID: 37055499 PMCID: PMC10099024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-33392-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted adolescent mental health on a global scale. However, many students were resilient during this crisis, despite exposure to COVID-related stressors. We aimed to study the protective effects of growth mindset on school-related resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the mediating effects of coping styles. The two-year follow-up of an ongoing Randomized Controlled Trial, involving a growth mindset and control intervention, took place during the pandemic. We measured growth mindset, school burnout symptoms, COVID-19-specific stressor exposure, coping styles, and calculated a resilience score (corrected for pre-pandemic school burnout symptoms). Mediation analyses were performed in the total sample (N = 261), and exploratory in the intervention subsamples, to test whether the associations between mindset and resilience were mediated by coping styles. Growth-mindset students were more resilient during the pandemic and used less maladaptive and more adaptive (acceptance) coping styles. Coping mediated the relation between mindset and resilience in the total sample (both coping styles), and growth mindset intervention subsample (maladaptive coping). We found unique evidence for the beneficial effects of growth mindset on school-related resilience during the pandemic, and the mediating effect of coping styles as explanatory mechanism. This work contributes to a growing literature that shows positive effects of growth mindset on mental health.
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Affiliation(s)
- T W P Janssen
- Department of Clinical, Neuro- & Developmental Psychology & Research Institute Learn!, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van Der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
| | - N van Atteveldt
- Department of Clinical, Neuro- & Developmental Psychology & Research Institute Learn!, Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Van Der Boechorststraat 7, 1081 BT, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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