Brain

development
and learning
Why do we need to know
about brain?
Why do we need to know
about brain?

The brain is where

learning happens.
Why do we need to know
about brain?
• Knowledge about how the brain evolved
and the role different brain parts are
working is crucial for understanding what
parts are involved in learning and what
prevents learning from happening

• Knoweldge about how brain works provides

information and understanding how to
ensure good learning conditions

• Knowleldge about how brain develops in

humans is crucial for understanding
that is developmental appropriate

• Knoweldge about how information is

memorized better in the brain
We have known since
antiquity that the seat
of learning is the
human brain.

Last decades
neuroscience
researchers have
been able to go inside
the brain and observe
how learning actually
occurs at the
molecular level.
New technologies
have opened up the
brain’s inner workings
and allowed scientists
to “see” what is
going on inside the
brain when people
are engaged in
learning and what
blocks it.
Diffusion imaging
The past few years have been
marked by a large number of
discoveries about the
learning brain.

Those insights have the

potential to support teachers
in designing even better
classroom environments to
help students learn better.
Brain Basics: Know
Your Brain
Weighing about 1,300-
1,400 gr in the average
adult, the brain is about
60% fat.

The remaining 40% is a

combination of water,
protein, carbohydrates and
salts.

The brain itself is a not a

muscle.

It contains blood vessels

Evolutionary Development of
the
The Brain
human brain is the
product of millions of years of
evolution.

It continually adapted and

evolved over time to survive in
constantly changing
circumstances.

Because of these evolutionary

developments, the brain is
often described as three
brains in one.
Evolutionary Development of
the Brain
Developed by
neuroscientist Paul
MacLean, it is useful
for understanding
brain function in
general terms.
MacLean’s original model
distinguished three different
brains that appeared successively
during evolution.
The Reptilian (Primitive) Brain

The oldest part of the brain

that controls the body’s most
basic and vital functions -
heart rate, body temperature,
blood pressure, breathing and
balance.

It’s adept at sensing threats and

danger.

The reptilian brain is reliable,

but tends to be somewhat rigid
and compulsive.
 The Limbic (Social,
Mammalian) Brain
• It developed around 250 million
years ago with the evolution of
the first mammals.

• Function: to survive in a social

world, such as bonding with a
mother and cooperating with
members of a tribe.

• Responsible for our

behavioural and emotional
responses, especially when it
comes to behaviours we need
for survival: feeding, reproduction
and caring for our young, and fight
The thalamus

The thalamus is the

switchboard operator of
our brain.

Any sensory information

(except for smell) that
comes into our bodies goes
to our thalamus first and the
thalamus sends the
information to the right parts
of our brain to get
processed.
 The hypothalamus
The hypothalamus is the size of a
coffee bean, but is one of the
most important structures in our
brain.

It is involved in controlling
thirst; hunger; emotions, body
temperature; sexual arousal,
circadian (sleep) rhythms and
the autonomic nervous system
and endocrine (hormone)
system.

Plays a role in some aspects of

The hippocampus

The hippocampus is
involved in memory
processing. This part
of the brain is
important for learning
and memory, for
converting short term
memory to more
permanent memory,
and for recalling spatial
relationships in the
world about us.
Amygdala

Amigdala regulates
emotions, especially fear
and memory and is
associated with the brain’s
reward system, stress,
and the “fight or flight”
response when someone
perceives a threat.
 The Neocortex/cerebral (Neomammalian,
Human) cortex
The latest ‘brain’ to evolve.

It is divided into areas that control

specific functions and process
information from our senses,
enabling us to see, feel, hear, and
taste

The front part of the cortex (frontal

cortex or forebrain) is the thinking
centre of the brain; it powers our
ability to think, plan, solve
problems, exercise self control and
Prefrontal cortex
The most recent part of the
neocortex to evolve is the
prefrontal cortex.

It is often called the executive

brain.

This provides us with

mechanisms for self-control,
planning, consciousness,
rational thought, awareness,
and language.
What we need to know
The older systems - the
reptilian brain and the limbic
system are primal and take
control, when something is
perceived as a threat.

They can initiate

fight/flight/freeze response
and completely shut them
down the neocortex and all
learning processes.
What we need to know

The amygdala has become best

known for its role in fear
processing.

When we are exposed to a fearful

stimulus, information about that
stimulus is immediately sent to
the amygdala, which can then
send signals to areas of the brain
to trigger a "fight-or-flight"
response.
What we need to know
When the brain
perceives a threat,
whether physical or on
our self-image, the
amygdala “takes
control”, diverting the
signals away from the
cortex, the “thinking”
part of the brain.

This “amygdala hijack”

prevents us from
engaging in logical or
What we need to know
Researches show that information
about potentially frightening
things in the environment can
reach the amygdala before we
are even consciously aware that
there’s anything to be afraid of.

There is a pathway that runs from

the thalamus to the amygdala, and
sensory information about fearful
stimuli may be sent along this
pathway to the amygdala before it is
consciously processed by the
cerebral cortex. This allows for the
initiation of a fear reaction before
 Fearful stimuli –
What is perceived
as a threat?

- Physical danger and lack of safety

What is perceived as a
threat?
Studies have showed
that “social pain”
activates the same
circuits of the brain
as physical threat
and pain.

The amygdala can

be triggered by any
attack on our self-
being and self-
esteem.
What is perceived as a
threat?
• Condemnation
• Criticism
• Accusation
• Mockery
• Humiliation
• Insult
• Irony
• Ignoring...

• Fear of not knowing, testing, pointing

out mistakes
What is perceived as a
threat?
When faced with shame (of not
knowing, of mistakes), the brain
reacts as if it were facing physical
danger, and activates the
sympathetic nervous system
generating the flight/fight/freeze
response.
What is perceived as a
threat?
For younger kids:
When they are:
- Hungry
- Thirsty
- Tired
- Sleepy
- Bored
- In a need of motion
- Sad, upset, worried,
anxient, afraid of
something
Are they really feeling that…?
Neuropsychologist David Rose,
who works with children
withlearning difficulties, says that
as a result ofyears of work, he and
his team conclude that:"The most
common learning difficulty inschools is not
physical or cognitive, but emotional. The hardest
thing for our team is to give back the children
whose ability to learn has been blocked from the
school system. The children they have reading
difficulties are not like those whothey are just
starting to learn to read. Research shows that
when asked to read, they experience emotional
stress which has a measurable physical
expression – sweating of the palms and quicken
 Reseachers show….
Higher Cortisol Levels When High School
Grades Are Declining
Exam Stress Induces Hormonal Changes
amongst Students of the Al-
Haweeja Technical College Stress and Anxiety among High School Adolescents:
Correlations between Physiological and Psychological
Numerous psychoneuroimmune factors participate in Indicators in a Longitudinal Follow-Up Study
complex bodily reactions to psychological stress, and some
of them can be easily and non-invasively measured in saliva
(cortisol, alpha-amylase, proinflammatory cytokines).
Cortisol plays a crucial role in the stress response; thus, Testing, Stress, and Performance: How
stressful events (academic examinations, cardiac surgery, Students Respond Physiologically to High-
dental procedures) are accompanied by an increase in Stakes Testing
cortisol levels.

Academic stress is defined as everyday stress among

students that has an impact on aspects of their psychological A Review of Psychological Stress
and physiological well-being. For example, exams are among Students and Its Assessment
considered one of the most acute stressful experiences for Using Salivary Biomarkers
students.
Emotional safety
Emotional safety and the ability to
learn have been correlated in
contemporary educational and
brain research. This research has
shown that the emotional center
of the brain is so powerful that
negative emotions such as
hostility, anger, fear, and anxiety
automatically “downshift” the
brain to basic, survival thinking.
This can make learning very
difficult, if not impossible.
Emotional safety
Under such stress, the neo-cortex or
reasoning center of the brain shuts
down.
Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence)
calls this an “emotional hijacking.”
Goleman shows that in the presence
of strong negative emotions stress
hormones are secreted in
preparation for fight or flight.
The fight or flight response has been
understood for a long time, but insight
into the effect it has on a student’s
Environment than supports
learning

A learning brain is a
brain that feels
safe.
Environment than supports
learningthat none of
Environment
those are present – is an
environment that supports
learning on a brain level:
ensures physical and
emotional safety for a calm
and relaxed brain – calm and
relaxed brain means: open to
hearing, exploring,
interacting, observing, doing,
trying, experiementing – open
To be able to learn:

Children:

- Can eat and drink, when

hungry or thirsty
- Can move, when they feel
like
- Can rest, when they are
tired
- Can change activity when
they are bored
Brain development – when the brain is
ready
The stages of cognitive
development are a theory
proposed by Jean Piaget, a
Swiss psychologist and
developmental biologist, to
describe the cognitive
development in children.

The theory explains how

children's understanding of
the world changes as they
Brain development – when the brain is
ready
Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years): During this
stage, infants and young children use their senses and motor
skills to explore and understand the world around them.
They begin to develop an understanding of cause and effect
relationships and begin to develop object permanence: the
understanding that objects continue to exist even when they
can't be seen or touched.
Brain development – when the brain is ready and
how it learns best

Preoperational stage
(2 to 7 years):

During this stage, children

develop the ability to
use symbols, such as
words and pictures, to
represent objects and
ideas.

The ability to do abstract

Brain development – when the brain is
ready and how it learns best
Concrete operational stage (7
to 11 years):

During this stage, children begin to

understand logical reasoning.

Develop the ability to think logically

and systematically and can perform
mental operations.

At the end of it they become more skilled

in thinking about and solving problems,
and they are better able to understand
Brain development – when the brain is
ready and how it learns best
Formal operational stage
(12 years and above):
During this stage, children
develop the ability to think
abstractly and to
understand complex ideas.
They become able to think
hypothetically, make logical
deductions, and consider
multiple possibilities.
They are also better able to
Brain development – when the brain is
ready and how it learns best
It's important to
note that these
stages are not
fixed and rigid,
and not all children
develop in exactly
the same way or at
the same rate.
Developmental teaching and planning –
WHEN the brain is ready
Programs needs to be build
in a way that is completely
developmental
appropriate – considering
the stage the kids are in
their brain development.

Sometimes kids don’t

understand information,
because their brain is not
ready for it, not because
they are lazy, stupid or
Developmental teaching and planning
– WHEN the brain is ready

Example: Teaching abstract

concepts when the brain is
not ready

- Culture
- Counsciosness
- Duality
How brain learns the best – EMOTION
andInfluences
The INTEREST of Emotion on
Learning and Memory
Emotion has a substantial influence on
the cognitive processes in humans,
including perception, attention, learning,
memory, reasoning, and problem solving.
Emotion has a particularly strong
influence on attention.
This attentional and executive control is
intimately linked to learning processes, as
intrinsically limited attentional capacities
are better focused on relevant
information.
Emotion also facilitates encoding and
How brain learns the best – EMOTION
and INTEREST
Neuroscientist Mary-Helen
Immordino-Yang discusses
ideal biological conditions
for learning: “it is literally
neurobiologically
impossible to think deeply
about things that you
don’t care about.”
Emotional investment is
critical for learning.
How brain learns the best – EMOTION
and INTEREST
Curiosity, a “nuanced,
implicit and emotional
process” during which
“you’re open, you’re safe,
you’re in a kind of
intellectually playful place
in which you’re sort of
exploring possibilities.”

Dr. Immordino-Yang identifies

that many traditional teaching
How brain learns the best – EMOTION
and INTEREST

The answer to how to

make great learning,
according to
neuroscience is a
combination of safety
and significance.
EMOTION and PERSONAL INTEREST and
MEANING

To unfold into curiosity,

students need to feel
emotionally safe
enough to explore, and
they need to know
enough to have a stake
in the topic.
Developmental teaching and planning –
HOW it is better for the brain - methods
The traditional teaching
approach, also known as the
didactic approach, emphasizes
teacher-centered instruction
and direct teaching of
information.

The different
developmental stadia of the
brain suggests other
Developmental teaching and planning –
HOW it is better for the brain - methods

Example - during the

sensorimotor stage of
cognitive development,
which is characterized
by the use of the
senses and motor skills
to explore and
understand the world, a
traditional teaching
Developmental teaching and planning –
HOW it is better for the brain - methods

Hands-on, observations,
experiential learning
activities can support this
stage of development by
providing opportunities for
children to use their senses
and motor skills to explore
and understand new
concepts.
Developmental teaching and planning –
HOW it is better for the brain - methods

During the
Preoperational stage of
cognitive development,
it is all about
imagination and play.

Stories, heros, theater…

Developmental teaching and planning –
HOW it is better for the brain - methods
Traditional teaching
approach can’t meet all
learning needs of the
students in different
developmental stages,
because it does not
provide much
opportunities for students
to actively engage in the
learning process and
Developmental teaching and planning –
HOW it is better for the brain - methods
Therefore, it's
recommended to provide
more choice and control,
and more teaching
approaches such as
cooperative learning,
project-based learning and
inquiry-based learning
that allows student to
have an active role in the
Democratic education approach
Democratic education approach
aligns well with the way the brain
develops and the different
developmental stages of the brain
as it allows students to take
ownership of their learning and
provides opportunities for
students to actively engage in
the learning process and to
make choices about what and
how they learn.

This approach allows students

Democratic education approach

In the Preoperational
stage of cognitive
development – self-
chosen explorational
activities, experiments,
story-telling, a lot of PLAY
Democratic education approach
In the Concrete operational stage
of cognitive development, they
begin to develop the ability to
think logically and systematically.

A democratic teaching approach

offers self-chosen cooperative
learning and problem-solving
activities that support this stage
of development by providing
opportunities for students to work
with others and to use logical
reasoning to solve problems that
Democratic education approach
In the Formal operational stage
of cognitive development,
when they develop the ability
to think abstractly and to
understand complex ideas, a
democratic approach offers
choice of project-based
learning and critical
thinking activities can help
to support this stage of
development by providing
opportunities for students to
explore and understand
Self-directed learning –
developmentally appropriate
Science has proven that human
beings learn best, when:

- there is safery, calmness, openness

- they are interested in what they
are learning
- and in charge of the process - when
they have control and choice over what to
learn

This is intrinsic motivation and self-

Thank
you!
Questions 