A rationale for promoting cognitive science in teacher education: Deconstructing prevailing learning myths and advancing research-based practices.

PURPOSE: Cognitive science is essential to designing, implementing, and evaluating instruction for enhancing student learning. However, there may not be sufficient focus on the principles of cognitive science, as some educators hold learning beliefs that may be considered cognitive myths. PROCEDURES: This review article analyzes examples of five learning myths (learning styles, pure discovery learning, digital natives, extrinsic motivation, multitasking) and five research-based learning strategies (dual coding, direct instruction, summarization, retrieval practice, spacing). It details the research evidence for each to explain those misconceptions of learning and also those underutilized or misunderstood but effective strategies shown to benefit student learning. CONCLUSION: Educational practices related to learning myths are widespread in education with potentially detrimental effects on student learning. We recommend that colleges of education be restructured to ensure greater emphasis on cognitive science in educator preparation programs to better promote research-based instructional strategies to meet students' learning needs.

Children and Parents' Perceptions of Access to Science Tools at Home and Their Role in Science Self-efficacy.

Families play a vital role in the development of the science interests and career aspirations of youth. Of particular interest is how a family's science capital and science habitus impact how children see themselves in relation to science. One aspect of science capital that has emerged as foundational in children's levels of science self-efficacy and academic self-concept is their access to science related tools outside of school. To learn more about the role of science tools in building the future science interests of youth, this exploratory study examined reported access to science-related tools and tool experiences for 89 participants (44 parents and 45 children). The results showed that more than half of the children reported a lack of home access to science tools such as a meter stick, compass, or scale. There were significant differences in reported access to science tools for African American and Latino/a youth. The reported access to tools for youth was significantly correlated with their science achievement value score (a measure of self-efficacy and self-concept). When comparing child and parent reported tool access, the parents noted having significantly more tools at home than the child participants. The findings from this study suggest that parents should provide opportunities for their children to explore these common household tools on their own as well as in family contexts. Having prior experiences with science tools outside of school is an important form of science capital that could foster success for children in the science classroom.