Neuroscience in educational contexts: a systematic review of evidence based applications and prevalent neuromyths

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Elisabeth Viviana Lucero Baldevenites
Alejandro Santos Pérez
Gabriel Alejandro Rivadeneira Fuel
Pedro Luis Bracho-Fuenmayor

Abstract

The applications of neuroscience in educational contexts constitute a central trend in contemporary evidence based on pedagogy. However, myths regarding brain function during learning still persist in education. The objective of this article was to analyze the applications of neuroscience in education from evidence based on perspective. A systematic review was conducted, in accordance with PRISMA regulations, in the Scopus database. 264 studies were analyzed using bibliometric tools and 15 studies were analyzed using quantitative thematic analysis on the myths and evidence of the application of neuro-education in various school contexts. The thematic analysis was developed using the PICO model (population, intervention, comparison, and outcomes). As a result, an exponential increase in publications on neuro-education was observed in recent years, with European countries leading the scientific production and a very low representation of Latin American countries. Paradoxically, an increase in neuromyths has been found in Latin America, primarily associated with poor teacher training, infrastructure problems, and disconnects from research. Ethical debates on the applications of neuroscience principles in education persist in the literature due to the high prevalence of neuromyths associated with a disconnection from pedagogical practices with scientific approaches to teaching.

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Lucero Baldevenites, E. V., Santos Pérez, A., Rivadeneira Fuel, G. A., & Bracho-Fuenmayor, P. L. (2025). Neuroscience in educational contexts: a systematic review of evidence based applications and prevalent neuromyths. Mendive. Journal on Education, 23(3), e4286. Retrieved from https://mendive.upr.edu.cu/index.php/MendiveUPR/article/view/4286
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