How should educational neuroscience conceptualise the relation between cognition and brain function? Mathematical reasoning as a network process

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Abstract/Contents

Abstract: There is increasing interest in applying neuroscience findings to topics in education. Purpose: This application requires a proper conceptualisation of the relation between cognition and brain function. This paper considers two such conceptualisations. The area focus understands each cognitive competency as the product of one (and only one) brain area. The network focus explains each cognitive competency as the product of collaborative processing among multiple brain areas. Sources of evidence: We first review neuroscience studies of mathematical reasoning-specifically arithmetic problem-solving and magnitude comparison-that exemplify the area focus and network focus. We then review neuroscience findings that illustrate the potential of the network focus for informing three topics in mathematics education: the development of mathematical reasoning, the effects of practice and instruction, and the derailment of mathematical reasoning in dyscalculia. Main argument: Although the area focus has historically dominated discussions in educational neuroscience, we argue that the network focus offers a complementary perspective on brain function that should not be ignored. Conclusions: We conclude by describing the current limitations of network-focus theorising and emerging neuroscience methods that promise to make such theorising more tractable in the future.

Subject	Arithmetic
Subject	dyscalculia
Subject	Educational Neuroscience
Subject	large-scale cortical networks
Subject	magnitude comparison
Subject	Mathematics education
Genre	Text
Genre	Article

Related item	Preferred citation Varmaa, S. and Schwartz, D. L. (2008). Educational Research (Special Issue: Education and Neuroscience: Evidence, Theory and Practical Application), 50(2): 149-161. DOI: 10.1080/00131880802082633
DOI	https://doi.org/10.25740/yr405yf9710
Location	https://purl.stanford.edu/yr405yf9710

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Preferred citation: Varma, S., Schwartz, D., and Taylor & Francis Group (2022). How should educational neuroscience conceptualise the relation between cognition and brain function? Mathematical reasoning as a network process. Stanford Digital Repository. Available at https://purl.stanford.edu/yr405yf9710

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