An educational psychologist's perspective on cognitive neuroscience

Byrnes and Fox present a thoughtful article on a neglected but important topic for educational psychologists. Some major contributions are their emphasis on the need for consistency in educational theory and neuroscience research, the lack of automatic correspondence between neuroscience research and educational applications, the need for educator awareness of neuroscience research, the importance of development, and the influence of early education. Limitations of the neuroscience perspective for education include inadequate examination of contemporary theories of learning and motivation, the generality of cognitive processes, the influence of student beliefs, and the role of self-regulation. Suggestions for future research are given.