Effect of a Science of Learning Course on Beliefs in Neuromyths and Neuroscience Literacy.

Misconceptions about the brain (neuromyths) among educators have been found across different countries, but little has been done to dispel them. The present study assessed the effect of a one-year Science of Learning (SoL) course on neuroscience literacy and beliefs in neuromyths in a sample of Chilean pre-service teachers. An experimental group of pre-service teachers, who took the SoL course as part of their university training, and a control group were needed for the study. Participants in both groups completed an online survey three times during the year (beginning, middle and end of year). The results showed that participants in both groups responded correctly to most assertions but held major misconceptions about the brain (Time 1), in line with previous studies. Regarding neuroscience literacy, participants in the experimental and control groups did not differ significantly at Time 1, but the experimental group showed significantly better performance than the control group at Time 2 and Time 3. Unlike neuroscience literacy, the results in neuromyth beliefs did not differ significantly by group at Time 1 and Time 2; however, at Time 3, the experimental group showed a significant decline in neuromyth beliefs. Overall, these results suggest that the SoL course significantly improved overall neuroscience literacy and reduced neuromyth belief among pre-service teachers, but the effect of the intervention was small.

The Effect of Emotional Valence on Auditory Word Recognition Memory in English as a Foreign Language.

The present study investigated the effect of emotional valence on auditory word recognition memory in English as a foreign language. Participants included 48 native Spanish speakers whose foreign language was English. They viewed four emotionally negative, four positive, and four neutral videos that, in total, contained 48 emotionally valenced target words. After watching the videos, participants completed an auditory word recognition memory task where target words, and the same number of fillers, were presented. The results showed a statistically significant main effect of valence on both reaction times and accuracy. Positive words were recognised more accurately and faster than neutral and negative words, but no difference between neutral and negative stimuli was found. These findings fit in well within the gradient model of automatic vigilance, which implies that emotional valence has a monotonic effect on processing latencies during auditory recognition memory in a foreign language.

To what extent is dot comparison an appropriate measure of approximate number system?

Introduction: Number sense has been systematically measured using dot comparison tasks. However, recent studies have reported that performance on dot comparison might be influenced inhibitory control and visual properties of dot arrays. In the present study, we analysed the influence of continuous magnitude, inhibitory control, and numerical ratio on the dot comparison performance of preschool children. Methods: Participants were 517 preschool children from 13 different schools in Chile. Children completed a dot comparison and two inhibitory control tasks. Gebuis and Reynvoet method was used to create well-controlled dot arrays for use in the dot comparison task. A logistic mixed effects model was conducted to predict participants' dot comparison accuracy. Continuous magnitude and ratio were entered as level-1 predictors and inhibitory control as level-2 predictors. Results: The results showed that all predictors made a significant contribution to dot comparison accuracy. Furthermore, a significant double interaction (inhibitory control x continuous magnitude) and a triple interaction (inhibitory control x continuous magnitude x ratio) showed that the contribution of inhibitory control skills in dot comparison accuracy depends on the continuous properties of dot arrays and ratio. Discussion: These findings suggest that preschool children rely more on continuous magnitudes than numerosity in dot comparison tasks. They also indicate that the greater children's inhibitory control, the more able they are to respond based on numerosity in fully incongruent trials, particularly when ratio is low (easiest items). Taken together, the above findings support the competing processes account provided that both ANS and inhibitory control skills influence performance on dot comparison tasks.

Longitudinal Performance in Basic Numerical Skills Mediates the Relationship Between Socio-Economic Status and Mathematics Anxiety: Evidence From Chile.

Socio-economic status (SES) and mathematical performance seem to be risk factors of mathematics anxiety (MA) in both children and adults. However, there is little evidence about how exactly these three constructs are related, especially during early stages of mathematical learning. In the present study, we assessed longitudinal performance in symbolic and non-symbolic basic numerical skills in pre-school and second grade students, as well as MA in second grade students. Participants were 451 children (average pre-school age = 5 years, 6 months) from 12 schools in Chile, which differed in school vulnerability index (SVI), an indicator of SES. We tested an explanatory model of MA that included SES and longitudinal performance in basic numerical skills as predictors. The results showed a direct effect of SES on MA and a mediating effect of performance in symbolic and non-symbolic comparison tasks in pre-school. However, in second grade, only performance in symbolic comparison significantly mediated the SES-MA relationship. These findings suggest that performance in non-symbolic comparison plays an important role in explaining MA at initial stages, but that its influence is no longer significant by the time children reach formal instruction in second grade. By contrast, as children's formal educational experience in mathematics increases, MA becomes linked primarily to symbolic numerical tasks. In sum, SES affects MA and this is due in part to the effect of SES on the development of numerical learning in pre-school, which in turn has an impact on subsequent, more complex learning, ultimately leading to differences in MA. We discuss the implications of these findings for preventing and acting upon the emergence of MA.

Factors that bias teacher expectations: Findings from Chile / Factores que sesgan las expectativas docentes: hallazgos en Chile

Abstract It is well-known that teacher expectations tend to be biased by factors such as student socio-economic status (SES) and gender. However, much less research has been devoted to understanding how teacher characteristics may impact their own expectations of the students. The present study investigated teacher expectations for 343 Chilean teachers (240 in-service and 103 pre-service). We first designed and validated an instrument to measure expectations; then we assessed the effect of teacher gender and experience, and student gender and school-SES in the formation of teacher expectations. The data were analysed using hypothesis and data-driven analyses. The results showed that SES had an effect on teacher expectations (η2= .03 to .12); there was a higher probability that teachers from high-SES schools would have positive expectations of their students. However, negative expectations were equally distributed across teachers working in high and low-SES schools. There was also no evidence of the effect of teacher or student gender on teacher expectations. With respect to teacher experience, the findings were clear cut; both pre-service and in-service teachers shared identical expectations of their students. These findings have important implications regarding teacher training programmes since the expectation bias is observed very early during training.

Resumen Es bien sabido que las expectativas docentes tienden a estar sesgadas por factores como el nivel socioeconómico de los estudiantes (NSE) y el género. Sin embargo, se ha investigado menos cómo las características de los docentes pueden afectar sus propias expectativas de los estudiantes. El presente estudio investigó las expectativas de 343 docentes chilenos (240 en servicio y 103 alumnos en prácticas). Primero se diseñó y validó un instrumento para medir expectativas; luego se evaluó el efecto del género y experiencia del profesor, y el género del estudiante y NSE de la escuela en la formación de las expectativas del profesor. Los datos fueron analizados mediante técnicas dirigidas por hipótesis y por datos. Los resultados mostraron un efecto del NSE de la escuela en las expectativas docentes (η2 = .03 a .12), con una mayor probabilidad de que los profesores de escuelas con alto NSE tengan expectativas positivas de sus estudiantes. Sin embargo, las expectativas negativas fueron distribuidas equitativamente entre los profesores que trabajaban en escuelas con bajo y alto NSE. Tampoco hubo evidencia del efecto de género de los profesores o estudiantes en las expectativas del profesor. Respecto a la experiencia del profesor, los hallazgos son claros; tanto los estudiantes en práctica profesional como los profesores en servicio mostraron idénticas expectativas hacia sus estudiantes. Estos hallazgos tienen implicaciones importantes respecto a los programas de formación docente ya que el sesgo de las expectativas se observa tempranamente desde la formación.