Brain Research and Learning

In an article by Kathie Nunley called Brain Biology: It's Basic Gardening," she shares the research about how our brains "prune" out cells that are never used. Dendrites are added to ones that are.


High activity in brain regions requires heavy blood flow to the cells. Low activity areas gets less.

These areas build up calcium ions, which trigger the release of the enzyme Calpain. This makes the lesser used nerves self-destruct.

So, could we, as educators, actually contribute to the brain destroying itself or growing? It seems likely.


Studies on brain research and learning suggests that there are best teaching practices that are optimal for learning.

In their work on brain research and learning within the differentiated classroom, Tomlinson and Allan both stated that "learning occurs when the learner experiences neither boredom nor anxiety...neither over-challenged or underchallenged."

The zone of proximal development is where brain research and education focuses. Teaching strategies such as comparing, contrasting, clssifying, analogies and using metaphors have been shown to produce a 45% gain in the learner's understanding.

Why? Because the brain likes patterns.

Geoffrey and Renate Nummela Caine wrote a book called 12 Brain/Mind Learning Principles in Action: Developing Executive Functions of the Human Brain that gives a foundation for the general rules of learning and can guide teachers in choosing best practices and strategies for teaching.

The 12 Principles are:

1. All learning is physiological.
2. The Brain-Mind is social.
3. The search for meaning is innate.
4. The search for meaning occurs through patterning.
5. Emotions are critical to patterning.
6. The Brain-Mind processes parts and wholes simultaneously.
7. Learning involves both focused attention and peripheral perception.
8. Learning always involves conscious and unconscious processes.
9. There are at least two approaches to memory: archiving individual facts or skills or making sense of experience.
10. Learning is developmental.
11. Complex learning is enhanced by challenge and inhibited by threat associated with helplessness.
12. Each brain is uniquely organized.

Brain Research and Learning:
Zone of Proximal Development

The ZPD (Lev Vygotsky) is the zone in which learning actually occurs. All students Zone of Proximal Development is different, so they must be working at different levels within their Zone.

Vygotsky sated that if students who have similar ZPD work together, then their learning will be optimized. However, do not place students in groups that are above their ZDP. This will only lead to frustration as they are not yet ready to work at that level.

Too often we have students working in their Zone of Actual Development (ZAD). This is where students work completely independently with no support needed from the teacher. Learning does not take place in this zone. The work is too easy and the student needs more challenging work to get in to the Zone of Proximal Development.

Brain research in education has shown that learning occurs with "moderate challenges and relaxed alertness," (Jensen, 1988). At times educators tend to give too much of a challenge, and this will actually release the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol actually kills neurons and hampers cognition.

In simpler terms, lessons should neither be too easy (no learning) nor too difficult (no learning). Aim for the middle where they student needs just a bit of help from you or group members to successfully accomplish the task.

Brain Research and Learning:
Challenging the Brain

Her research showed that when positive socialization and challenges are combined, "brain growth" does occur.

Eric Jensen reports in his book Teaching with the Brain in Mind, Revised 2nd Edition that students who are involved in challenging activities experience 25% more brain growth than those who are not.


Presenting an adequate challenge to our students is certainly supported by brain research and education.

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