The effect of educational neuroscience-based teacher training on self-efficiency and lesson desing

The field of educational neuroscience researches answers to questions such as how the brain processes information, how learning and memory occur, and how factors such as motivation, attention, and emotion affect learning. Researchers in this field try to bridge the gap between scientific findings and educational practices by examining the neural processes underlying learning. This research aims to examine the effects of educational neuroscience-based teacher education practice on teachers' self-efficacy, lesson plans and opinions. In this research, which was carried out in a nested pattern, one of the mixed method models, qualitative data were embedded into quantitative data. While the quantitative dimension of the research was formed by the pre-test and post-test design without a control group, the qualitative dimension was deepened with interviews. The study group of the research consisted of 10 Turkish language and literature teachers (N=10) who worked in Kartal district of Istanbul province in the 2022-2023 academic year and participated in the study voluntarily. Educational neuroscience-based teacher training was carried out for six weeks with the teachers participating in the research. Quantitative data of the study were collected through the Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale (SLC) developed by Tschannen-Moran and Hoy (2001) and adapted to Turkish by Çapa, Çakıroğlu, and Sarıkaya (2005) and the Educational Neuroscience Lesson Plan Scoring Key developed by the researcher. The Krippendorff alpha value of the scoring key, which was developed by scanning the related literature in depth, was calculated as 0.94 and it was concluded that it was reliable. Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test was used in the analysis of quantitative data and it was determined that the pretest and posttest mean scores of the participants had a normal distribution. Accordingly, the quantitative data were analysed with the dependent sample t test and the effect size was calculated with the Cohen d coefficient. Quantitative data were analysed with the SPSS 26.0 statistical program. Qualitative data were collected with a semi-structured interview form. Qualitative data were obtained in one-on-one interviews after the post-tests were applied. Qualitative data were analysed by content analysis method with a deductive approach. The quantitative findings of the study revealed that there is a significant difference between the pretest and posttest mean scores of the teachers' self-efficacy and lesson plans in educational neuroscience-based teacher education (p<.05). Student participation in teachers' self-efficacy (t (9) =-3.82; p<0.05), teaching strategies (t (9) =-3.53; p<0.05), classroom management (t (9) It was understood that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores in the dimensions of =-3.86; p<0.05) and STS total (t(9)=-4.11; p<0.05). It was concluded that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores in the evaluation of teachers' lesson plans and that it had a large effect (t (9) =-19.13; p<0.05). In the study, by examining the lesson plans of the teachers before and after the experimental procedure, it was understood that there was a significant difference between the pre-test and post-test mean scores (t (9) =-19.13; p<0.05). This finding showed that educational neuroscience-based practices increased teachers' ability to prepare lesson plans in accordance with neuroscience principles and had a wide impact in their teaching. In line with the qualitative data of the research, codes, categories and themes were created and the themes were; learning with educational neuroscience, contribution to professional development, transfer to educational practice and cooperation. Teachers generally expressed a positive opinion about the educational neuroscience-based teacher education practice. They indicated that it provides a new perspective on the concept of learning, contributes to their pedagogical knowledge and skills, and affects their professional self-efficacy. Thus, it was seen that the findings obtained in the qualitative dimension of the research supported the quantitative findings. As a result, in the professional development processes of teachers, educational neuroscience-based teacher education practice can help teachers develop effective teaching strategies by contributing to their competence areas, design learning environments, solve the difficulties experienced in classroom management and make learning more willing for the learner. Keywords: educational neuroscience, brain and learning, teacher training, self-efficacy, lesson design