Teachers are often influenced by muddled ideas about how children's brains work

The News Minute | October 19, 2014 | 3.24 pm IST London: Myths about the brain are common among teachers worldwide and are hampering teaching, noted a study that called for better communication between neuroscientists and educators. Over 70 percent of teachers in all countries wrongly believe a student is either left-brained or right-brained, peaking at 91 percent in Britain, the findings showed. A quarter or more of teachers in Britain and Turkey believe a student's brain would shrink if they drank less than six to eight glasses of water a day. Around half or more of those surveyed believe a student's brain is only 10 percent active and that children are less attentive after consuming sugary drinks and snacks. "These ideas are often sold to teachers as based on neuroscience - but modern neuroscience cannot be used support them," said Paul Howard-Jones, author of the article from University of Bristol in Britain. "These ideas have no educational value and are often associated with poor practice in the classroom," Howard-Jones added. The findings appeared in the journal Nature Reviews Neuroscience.IANS