Minds

Why should psychologists and educators study the brain? Can neuroscientific research advance our understanding of student learning and motivation? What do informed readers need to know to tell the difference between plausible applications of brain research and unfounded speculation? This volume aims to answer such questions.

In the Preface, Byrnes is hopeful that his book will be useful to teachers and others in the field of education who are currently being bombarded with information about the brain in teacher-oriented publications. This goal is amply fulfilled. Even those in education who remain skeptical of the relevance of neuroscience research need to read this book, if only in order to ground their criticisms in evidence. Byrnes delivers a fine summary of current neuroscientific work. The book is not for the specialist, but instead provides a wonderful overview for those relatively new to the field. We need more books like this that attempt to fill the communication gap between the practitioner and the basic researcher. --Keith E. Stanovich, PhD, Department of Human Development and Applied Psychology, University of Toronto Educators seeking information on how the brain develops to make learning possible need look no further. This balanced, expansive book provides a highly readable account of the latest advances in both cognitive science and neuroscience, with an eye towards educational practice. Offering particular benefits to educational and school psychologists, the book will also be of interest to cognitive and developmental psychologists. --Charles A. Nelson, PhD, Distinguished McKnight University Professor of Child Psychology, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics, Institute of Child Development, University of MinnesotaByrnes artfully juxtaposes the current status of two emergent disciplines: brain science and cognitive science. Besides succinctly introducing the important role of brain structures in cognitive and educational processes, the text provides a provocative scaffold for rethinking several assumptions related to the interdependence between mental and neural processes. This clear and readable book will be a useful text in both educational psychology and cognitive psychology courses. --Stephen W. Porges, PhD, Center for Developmental Psychobiology, Department of Psychiatry, University of Illinois at Chicago -

James P. Byrnes, PhD, is Professor of Educational Psychology and Applied Developmental Science in the College of Education at Temple University. He was a Fellow of Division 15 (Educational Psychology) of the American Psychological Association between 2002 and 2018, has served as Vice President of the Jean Piaget Society, and was Associate Editor of the Journal of Cognition and Development. Dr. Byrnes has published over 100 books, chapters, and articles on areas of cognitive development, including language development, logical reasoning, and mathematical learning. His most recent work has focused primarily on developing and testing a comprehensive theoretical model of academic achievement (the opportunity–propensity model) in order to provide insight into ways to eliminate or substantially reduce gender, ethnic, and racial gaps in achievement. Dr. Byrnes has received awards for his teaching and mentoring of undergraduate and graduate students.