Why the Brain Matters : A Teacher Explores Neuroscience

Educational neuroscience is one of the most hotly debated areas of research and is often misrepresented with grand claims for what it means for teaching and learning. Is each side of the brain responsible for different types of mental activity? Can listening to Mozart improve long-term brain function? Can neuroscience help with reading, or student motivation? In this book, teacher, education consultant and researcher Jon Tibke fact-checks prevailing ′neuromyths′ by shining a light on what scientific research is truly relevant for the classroom and exploring the current limits of our understanding. Evidence-informed and complemented by thought-provoking practical tasks, this book will challenge readers to think critically about the human body′s most complex organ.

Jon Tibke began his teaching career in Lancashire in 1982, where he taught in four secondary schools over a period of 25 years. Following six years as a deputy headteacher, he moved into initial teacher training, undertaking PGCE roles with the Open University, Edge Hill University and the University of Cumbria. In 2014, Jon became a freelance teacher educator, leading events for trainee, newly qualified and experienced teachers throughout England and Wales, as well as further afield in India, Kazakhstan, Nepal and Qatar. Having finished writing The Brain and Teaching: a cautious guide, Jon is concentrating on the completion of his PhD thesis, The Case of Teachers and Neuroscience: how do teachers mediate information about the brain?