After acquiring knowledge of the neuroscience of learning, memory, stress and emotions, teachers incorporate more cognitive engagement and student-centered practices into their lessons. However, the role understanding neuroscience plays in teachers own affective and motivational competencies has not yet been investigated. The goal of this study was to investigate how learning neuroscience effected teachers’ self-efficacy, beliefs in their ability to teach effectively, self-responsibility and other components of teacher motivation. A pilot training-of-trainers program was designed and delivered in Liberia combining basic neuroscience with information on social, emotional, behavioral and mental health issues faced by students. Tier I of the professional development was a two-week workshop led by a visiting neuroscientist. A subset of the 24 Tier I secondary science teachers formed a Leadership Team who adapted the content to the Liberian context and subsequently led additional workshops and follow-up sessions for the Tier II secondary science teachers. Science teachers in both tiers completed the affective-motivational scales from the internationally vetted, multiscale Innovative Teaching for Effective Learning Teacher Knowledge Survey from the OECD. Tier II teachers completed the survey in a pre-post-delayed post design. Tier I teachers completed the survey after the workshop with their attitudes at that time and separately with retrospective projections of their pre-workshop attitudes. Ten of the 92 Tier II teachers participated in structured interviews at follow-up. Statistical analysis of survey data demonstrated improved teacher self-efficacy, self-responsibility for student outcomes, and motivation to teach. Qualitatively, teachers expressed more confidence in their ability to motivate students, engage them through active learning, and manage the class through positive rather than negative reinforcement. Teachers’ own self-regulation improved as they made efforts to build supporting relationships with students. Together, these results demonstrated that i) teacher affective-motivational attitudes can be altered with professional development, ii) basic neuroscience, as knowledge of how students learn, can improve teacher competency, and iii) a training-of-trainers model can be effective in a low and middle income country for disseminating neuroscience knowledge, increasing teachers’ knowledge of students’ social and emotional needs, and promoting educational improvement.

中文翻译：

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利比里亚的分层神经科学和心理健康专业发展提高了教师的自我效能、自我责任和动机


在获得学习、记忆、压力和情绪的神经科学知识后，教师将更多的认知参与和以学生为中心的实践融入到课程中。然而，理解神经科学在教师自身情感和动机能力中所发挥的作用尚未得到研究。本研究的目的是调查学习神经科学如何影响教师的自我效能感、对其有效教学能力的信念、自我责任以及教师动机的其他组成部分。在利比里亚设计并实施了一项试点培训师培训计划，将基础神经科学与学生面临的社会、情感、行为和心理健康问题的信息相结合。专业发展的第一层是由一位访问神经科学家主持的为期两周的研讨会。 24 名一级中学科学教师的一部分组成了一个领导小组，根据利比里亚的情况调整内容，随后为二级中学科学教师举办了额外的研讨会和后续会议。两级科学教师均完成了经合组织国际审查的多尺度有效学习创新教学教师知识调查的情感动机量表。二级教师以事前事后延迟事后设计的方式完成了调查。一级教师在研讨会结束后完成了调查，了解他们当时的态度，并分别回顾性预测了他们在研讨会前的态度。 92 名二级教师中有 10 名参加了后续的结构化访谈。调查数据的统计分析表明，教师的自我效能感、对学生成绩的自我责任感和教学动机都有所提高。 从质量上讲，教师对自己激励学生、通过主动学习吸引学生以及通过积极强化而不是消极强化管理班级的能力更有信心。教师在努力与学生建立支持关系的同时，自身的自我约束也得到了提高。总之，这些结果表明：i) 教师的情感动机态度可以随着专业发展而改变，ii) 基础神经科学，如了解学生如何学习的知识，可以提高教师的能力，以及 iii) 培训师培训模型可以是有效的在中低收入国家传播神经科学知识，增加教师对学生社会和情感需求的了解，并促进教育进步。