As educators seek to better understand how students learn, professional development that bridges research and practice can offer valuable insights. For Mrs Yeoh Teh Ting Ting, Lead Teacher for Art at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, participating in a brain literacy project, led by Assistant Professor Alicia Goodwill from NIE, provides a meaningful opportunity to deepen her understanding of how neuroscience can inform everyday teaching. In this article, she shares how insights from neuroscience – particularly the concept of neuroplasticity – have deepened her understanding of learning and shaped her approach to teaching, from fostering a growth mindset in students to making more intentional, evidence-informed decisions in the classroom.

From Curiosity to Classroom Application

Originally developed for clinicians and cognitive neuroscientists, BrainMap is an open-source database that consolidates findings from cognitive neuroscience and links them to learning-relevant tasks. To make these insights more accessible to educators, a research team led by Assistant Professor Alicia Goodwill from NIE, developed a parallel taxonomy using terms familiar to teachers. Through workshops, guest lectures, masterclasses and keynote presentations, the project aims to equip teachers with up-to-date, research-informed insights to better support the diverse learning needs of their students.

Participating in the project has deepened Mrs Yeoh Teh Ting Ting’s understanding of teaching and learning from a cognitive and neuroscience perspective. As Lead Teacher for Art at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, she finds that it has helped her connect theoretical concepts more meaningfully to classroom practice.

“As an art teacher, I want to explore how insights from brain research could inform more intentional teaching strategies and learning processes,” she shares. “The workshop that I attended has a focus on bridging research and practice, which resonates with my interest in evidence-informed teaching.”

One of her key takeaways was the concept of neuroplasticity – the idea that the brain is not fixed, but can change and develop through practice, feedback and experience. “This reinforces the fact that students’ abilities are not fixed but can grow over time,” she reflects, highlighting the importance of cultivating a growth mindset where effort and persistence are seen as essential to improvement.

This idea was brought to life through a particularly memorable example that was discussed during the workshop: how London taxi drivers develop a larger hippocampus after years of memorizing routes. “It is a powerful reminder that the brain can grow with sustained effort, regardless of age,” she explains, adding that this insight has strengthened her belief that all students, regardless of their starting point, have the potential to improve when given the right support and opportunities.

Shaping Practice through Brain-Based Insights

These insights have since influenced how Ting Ting approaches her art lessons. Moving beyond a focus on final outcomes, she now places greater emphasis on the learning process, encouraging experimentation and reflection.

“I encourage students to see mistakes as part of the learning process rather than something to avoid,” she explains. By normalizing trial and error, she aims to create a classroom environment where students feel safe to take risks and explore new ideas.

She has also become more intentional in designing learning experiences that allow for iteration. “Students are given opportunities to revisit their work, reflect on feedback and refine their ideas over time,” she says. “This aligns with the idea of strengthening neural pathways through repeated practice and supports a spiral approach to learning where concepts are revisited and deepened progressively.”

Although she did not directly use the BrainMap software introduced in the workshop, the theoretical grounding has shaped how she frames both instruction and feedback. She notes that it has helped her understand the “why” behind learning, and not just the strategies.

“This deeper understanding has allowed me to make more purposeful decisions in my teaching, ensuring that my practices are aligned with how students learn best,” she remarks.

Fostering Growth for Students and Teachers

The workshop has prompted Ting Ting to reflect on the importance of adaptability in teaching. “Teaching should be adaptive and responsive rather than fixed,” she shares.

Since students learn in different ways and are influenced by a range of cognitive and environmental factors, teachers need to continuously adjust their approaches to meet diverse needs.

At the same time, the workshop reinforces that teachers themselves must embrace a growth mindset. Just as students are encouraged to learn from experience and feedback, teachers too must be open to refining their practice. This mindset shift has encouraged her to view professional learning as an ongoing journey rather than a one-time event.

This mindset shift, reflected in both teachers and students, has brought about noticeable changes in her classroom. Students are more willing to take risks, try new approaches and persist through challenges.

“When the focus is on growth and process rather than perfection, students become more confident in their learning,” she observes. “During art discussions, students are also more open to sharing their ideas and receiving feedback from peers.”

Drawing from a previous critical inquiry project on growth mindset, she has seen how students can improve over time when they believe in their ability to grow. The workshop further affirms this belief, reinforcing the role of teacher practices in shaping students’ attitudes towards learning.

Starting Small with Brain Literacy

For educators interested in incorporating brain literacy into their teaching, Ting Ting emphasizes the importance of starting small. “You don’t need to fully understand all the science before beginning,” she says. Even simple ideas, such as recognizing that learning develops over time or that effort shapes outcomes, can make a meaningful difference in how lessons are designed and how feedback is given. 

She encourages teachers to try out strategies within their own context, observe how students respond and make adjustments along the way. Rather than striving for perfection, the focus should be on being intentional and reflective in supporting student learning. “It’s less about getting it right and more about being mindful of how we support our students,” she adds.

Her experience highlights how insights from neuroscience can enrich classroom practice in practical and meaningful ways. By grounding teaching in an understanding of how the brain learns, educators can create environments where students feel empowered to experiment, reflect and grow. In doing so, classrooms become spaces where both teachers and students continue to learn, adapt and thrive together.