It, too, is researched based. As you walk by classrooms that use texts and require memorization you cringe. Rote memorization is brain-antagonistic. The fact that rote memorization is not brain antagonistic does fit with my educational philosophy but again that philosophy is based on the psychological principle of rehearsal being a strategy for getting an item into short term memory and then into long term. In my class on effective instruction we discuss practice theory which includes rote memorization as ONE strategy.
Environments primarily determine learner success.
I don't know if the neuroscience findings back this or not. I would not, at this point, teach it as part of my class. I do talk about, in the input on motivation, the idea of pleasant feeling tone and class environment figures in there. One's educational philosophy can be grounded in sound research. I have had to toss a lot of things out of my philosophy because they conflicted with the research findings.