Brain-Based Learning Theory

The purpose for this quantitative study was to examine whether or not gender-specific strategies improve boys’ reading achievement. The review of literature presented in this chapter consists of an overview of existing research related to brain-based learning theory, gender differences, gender-specific teaching strategies, singlesex schools, boys and literacy, and gender-specific literacy instruction. The purpose of this study is to examine whether there is a correlation between gender-specific literacy instruction and the reading achievement of boys in single-sex schools. This review will begin by defining brain-based learning theory and drawing a connection to cognitive gender differences, which will provide a theoretical framework on which to base this study. Next, it will identify and explore brain-based gender differences as well as gender-specific teaching strategies. Furthermore, the literature review defines and discusses single-sex schools and their impact on student achievement. In order to consider gender differences in learning, one must understand brain-based learning theory. Brain-based learning is a comprehensive approach to instruction using current research from neuroscience. Brain-based education emphasizes how the brain learns naturally and is based on what is currently known about the actual structure and function of the human brain at varying stages of development (Froschl & Sprung, 2005). In recent years, educators have explored links between classroom teaching and emerging theories about how people learn. Brain research provides us with many possibilities for education, and there is much discussion among educational professionals about how this research should be considered when developing programs and curriculum. Theories Related to Brain-Based Learning For many years, there have been primal models of how our brain works. It was in the mid-1900s that the brain was compared to a switchboard. However, in the 1970s, brain theory began to examine right and left brain comparisons. Later, the brain was referred to in terms of a “triune brain,” or a brain in three parts: the lower, middle, and upper sections. The lower brain is responsible for survival learning, while the middle and the upper brain are responsible for higher-level thinking. Presently, brain theory focuses more on a holistic view of the brain. The theory emphasizes a more systems-based approach wherein the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Within the last two decades, neuroscientists constructed clinical studies using diverse, multicultural groups of people to gather reliable information about how our brains function. This information has been beneficial in determining how human learning actually occurs. Scientists have been looking into how our brain gathers, processes, and retain information (Caine& Caine, 1991). Currently, the research appears to also focus on three key components of human learning and the brain. The following section will review the current research on brainbased learning and examine three major components that influence brain-based learning theory. The research examines the ability of the brain to adapt and grow cognitively, the integration of the brain, and the sophistication or complexity of the brain. Journal of Education and Human Development, Vol. 6(1), March 2017 28 Because of the growing interest in learning and the brain, the attempts to synthesize current research in the area of brain-based learning from a theoretical and practical approach will help to define and describe the characteristics of brain-based learning. Brain-based learning accommodates the learning style of individual students. It is learning with the brain in mind (Jensen, 2005). In his text, Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Eric Jensen (2005) explains that “brain learning is a reality check” (p. 77). Thirty years ago, good teaching was defined as lecture, content classes, and quiet students sitting still at their desks. Is this how students learn best? Educators needed to combine the findings of brain research to improve their teaching techniques. “The brain is what we have; the mind is how we use it” (Jensen, 2005, p.77). According to Jensen, it is now known that incorporating intense emotions associated with celebration, competition, or drama can stimulate the release of adrenaline, which strongly enhances memory in learning. Jensen states, “Challenge, feedback, novelty, coherence, and time arecrucial ingredients for rewiring the brain” (Jensen, 2005, p.79). In order for connections to strengthen, students need time to think about, digest, and act on their learning. Based on neurological research, Jensenhighlights three relevant and essential features of the brain. Adaptability (the constantly changing brain), integration (the structures of the brain that compete and cooperate), and sophistication (the complexity of the brain) will help us to establish the nature of the brain. Adaptability of the Brain The adaptability of the brain reinforces the fact that all children have the opportunity to change and grow cognitively. Environmental events, such as experiences and the actions that you take, lead to changes in your brain (Jensen, 1995). The brain is continually making more connections based on how the individual interacts with the environment (Jensen, 1995). Kemperman, Kuhn, and Gagefound that humans can influence the rate of cell growth and also identified factors that enhance or impair neurogenesis. For example, inhibiting factors like excess stress and enhancing factors such as exercise were found to affect neurogenesis (Kemperman, et al., 1998). Based on his research, Jensen contends, “Yes, genetics plays a part in who students are and how they behave and reason, but each of them can change” (p. 13). The adaptability of the brain is relevant to this study in that it has a direct impact on learning. If, in fact, the variables that affect neurogenesis can be manipulated via differentiated instructional strategies, this information would provide support for gender-specific strategies. Integration of the Brain How well the structures of the brain cooperate and compete is defined as the integration of the brain.Cooperation is defined as the way that the different areas of the brain work together to store and prioritize information and complete tasks. Competition occurs when areas of the brain compete for storage space for the behaviors and resources for which they are responsible. Although previous research indicated that the left hemisphere was for logical function and the right hemisphere was for creativity, current research indicates that the left side of the brain processes information in parts, in a sequence, and uses language and text representations (Jensen, 1995). A study done by Richard Davidsonat the University of Wisconsin shows that the right hemisphere was activated by negative emotions and the left hemisphere was activated by positive emotions. The left and right hemispheres communicate via the corpus callosum, the large bundle of nerve fibers that connects the two hemispheres. Neurotransmitters carry neural impulses across the corpus callosum, thus allowing the brain to send messages back and forth between the hemispheres. The competition of the brain is representative of a first-come, first-serve mentality. The portions of the brain that are underdeveloped are waiting for signals from the environment to direct them. Whatever comes first, whatever activities are more frequent, and whatever actions are more coherent will influence the network of signals to the brain to allocate space and resources to increase those behaviors (Jensen, 1995). Undoubtedly, the human brain performs many different functions simultaneously. Consequently, learning is enhanced by a rich environment with a variety of stimuli. Therefore, in education, material and content should be presented through a variety of strategies, including physical and artistic student experiences. Sophistication of the Brain The sophistication or complexity of the brain is never more evident than when the process by which learning occurs. Input comes in from outside stimuli and is routed to the thalamus for processing. Meanwhile, the information is routed simultaneously to appropriate cortical structures (occipital and temporal lobes) and the subcortical areas (the amygdale). Brain-Based Learning Theory 29 If it is an emergency stimulus, the amygdale will respond and recruit other necessary brain areas as soon as possible. Later, the information is sent to the hippocampus for more evaluation and is held over time. Over time, the hippocampus will organize, distribute, and connect the memories with other areas of the cortex for long-term memory storage (Jensen, 1995). Although an intensive and complex process, the initial process takes place with lightning speed, but the subsequent process can take hours, days, or even weeks to complete (Jensen, 1995). Jensen acknowledges seven critical factors in the learning process. Those factors are: engagement, repetition, input quantity, coherence, timing, error correction, and emotional states. Because the developing brain engages in highly complex interaction that needs stimulation, and these interactions that need stimulation prompt the brain to become increasingly specialized, these factors will influence how and what children learn. Engagement, or goaloriented attention, is the first factor in the learning process. It is important to note that, according to Gazzaniga, 90% of what is learned is the result of unconscious acquisition. With that in mind, engagement is an important part of learning. The simple fact is that if you have your students’ attention, they are focused and attend to the lesson or process, and the opportunity for learning increases (Jensen, 1995). Repetition increases exposure and therefore will strengthen the connections in the brain. Researchers have discovered that repetition strengthens