ArticlePloS one2013
Neuroscientists' classroom visits positively impact student attitudes.
Article in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 17 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
17 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- A critical systematic review of K-12 neurology/neuroscience pipeline programs.Frontiers in medicine · 2023Pooled it
- The Role of STEM Teaching in Education: An Empirical Study to Enhance Creativity and Computational Thinking.Journal of Intelligence · 2025Article
- Bodies and Bites: a medical school program that teaches anatomy, physiology, and nutrition to elementary school kids.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- An optogenetics device with smartphone video capture to introduce neurotechnology and systems neuroscience to high school students.PloS one · 2022Article
- Evaluating and Engaging: Using Participatory Video With Kenyan Secondary School Students to Explore Engagement With Health Research.Frontiers in public health · 2022Article
- Active Learning and Community Engagement: Pedagogical Synergy through the "Mobile Neuroscience Lab" Project.Journal of undergraduate neuroscience education : JUNE : a publication of FUN, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience · 2022Article
- Impact of Early Introduction to the Neurosciences on West Virginia High School Students via the Brain Bee.Medical science educator · 2021Article
- Design and Evaluation of the Environmental Outreach Activity for Middle School Students.ACS omega · 2020Article
- Ten simple rules for partnering with K-12 teachers to support broader impact goals.PLoS computational biology · 2020Article
- Interactive Student-Centered Neuroscience Workshops for Sixth Graders Enhance Science Knowledge and Education Attitudes.Journal of undergraduate neuroscience education : JUNE : a publication of FUN, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience · 2020Article
- The influences of curriculum area and student background on mindset to learning in the veterinary curriculum: a pilot study.Veterinary medicine and science · 2019Article
- Evolution of a programme to engage school students with health research and science in Kenya.Wellcome open research · 2019Article
- Bridge to neuroscience workshop: An effective educational tool to introduce principles of neuroscience to Hispanics students.PloS one · 2019Article
- Community Partnership Designed to Promote Lyme Disease Prevention and Engagement in Citizen Science.Journal of microbiology & biology education · 2016Article
- Developing Science Communication in Africa: Undergraduate and Graduate Students should be Trained and Actively Involved in Outreach Activity Development and Implementation.Journal of undergraduate neuroscience education : JUNE : a publication of FUN, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience · 2016Article
- Evaluation of Changes in Ghanaian Students' Attitudes Towards Science Following Neuroscience Outreach Activities: A Means to Identify Effective Ways to Inspire Interest in Science Careers.Journal of undergraduate neuroscience education : JUNE : a publication of FUN, Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience · 2016Article
- Explain the brain: websites to help scientists teach neuroscience to the general public.CBE life sciences education · 2014Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
The primary recommendation of the 2010 President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology report on K-12 education was to inspire more students so that they are motivated to study science. Scientists' visits to classrooms are intended to inspire learners and increase their interest in science, but verifications of this impact are largely qualitative. Our primary goal was to evaluate the impact of a longstanding Brain Awareness classroom visit program focused on increasing learners understanding of their own brains. Educational psychologists have established that neuroscience training sessions can improve academic performance and shift attitudes of students from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. Our secondary goal was to determine whether short interactive Brain Awareness scientist-in-the-classroom sessions could similarly alter learners' perceptions of their own potential to learn. Teacher and student surveys were administered in 4(th)-6(th) grade classrooms throughout Minnesota either before or after one-hour Brain Awareness sessions that engaged students in activities related to brain function. Teachers rated the Brain Awareness program as very valuable and said that the visits stimulated students' interest in the brain and in science. Student surveys probed general attitudes towards science and their knowledge of neuroscience concepts (particularly the ability of the brain to change). Significant favorable improvements were found on 10 of 18 survey statements. Factor analyses of 4805 responses demonstrated that Brain Awareness presentations increased positive attitudes toward science and improved agreement with statements related to growth mindset. Overall effect sizes were small, consistent with the short length of the presentations. Thus, the impact of Brain Awareness presentations was positive and proportional to the efforts expended, demonstrating that short, scientist-in-the-classroom visits can make a positive contribution to primary school students' attitudes toward science and learning.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.