Neuroscience literacy of teachers: A status quo study of Hong Kong primary and secondary school teachers

Advances in neuroscience research have allowed us to gain more understanding on how the brain works. Over the years, neuroscience has attracted increasing attention by educators. There have also been calls for bridging neuroscience and education—to find out how neuroscience research can be translated into the classroom. Research studies found that teachers are generally enthusiastic about the use of neuroscience findings in the field of education; however, misconceptions about the brain exist, such as 10% brain usage, left- and right-brainers, multiple intelligences and VAK learning styles. These neuromyths are potentially detrimental to teachers’ practices. In Asia, studies about the neuroscience literacy of teachers are scarce. Hence, before we can provide suggestions for the integration of neuroscience in teacher education, the status quo of teachers’ neuroscience literacy needs to be identified. This paper reports the results of a study that explores the neuroscience literacy of primary and secondary school teachers in Hong Kong. The data collected is analysed using statistical methods. The neuroscience literacies held by teachers with science or non-science background are compared, and the possible associations between neuroscience literacy and teachers’ level of science education, teacher training, etc. will be investigated. Teachers’ attitude towards the use of neuroscientific findings to inform education is also examined. This study can contribute to existing literature of neuroscience literacy of teachers by adding an Asian perspective; it can also inform discussions about the bridging of neuroscience and education focusing on the aspect of teacher education.