Within Teacher Corrections
When Debunking Does Not Change Teaching
Teachers may reject a myth on a survey while old labels, worksheets and school routines keep the practice alive.
On this page
- What correction studies measure
- Why routines can preserve myth based practice
- How implementation support closes the gap
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Introduction
Correcting a teacher’s belief is not the same as changing what happens in a classroom. Research on educational myths repeatedly finds that teachers can become less likely to endorse a misconception on a survey while continuing to use materials, routines or labels that were built around that misconception. In other words, belief change and practice change are related but separate processes. A successful debunking intervention may show that a myth has lost credibility in a teacher’s mind, yet the daily structures of schooling can keep the old idea alive. This “practice gap” is one of the most important limitations of myth-correction efforts in education. [Frontiers]frontiersin.orgFrontiersInterventions to Dispel Neuromyths in Educational Settings…by L Rousseau · 2021 · Cited by 74 — Potential adverse effects of…
The issue matters because educational myths often become embedded in worksheets, intervention programmes, assessment forms, staff training materials and school language. Once this happens, removing the belief is only the first step. Changing the surrounding system is usually harder. [OECD]oecd.orgBridging the research-practice gap in education (ENOECDBridging the research-practice gap in education (EN)May 11, 2025 — by U Hartmann · 2024 · Cited by 30 — RPPs can equip educators with…
What Correction Studies Measure
Most studies on educational myths focus on beliefs. Researchers typically ask teachers whether they agree with claims such as “students learn best when taught in their preferred learning style” before and after an intervention. Refutation texts, science-of-learning courses and similar approaches often reduce endorsement of these claims. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCby MPG Lithander · 2024 · Cited by 3 — Previous findings demonstrate that textual refutations are effective for correcting neuromyths… [ScienceDirect]sciencedirect.com•. Prompting students to be open to belief…
However, a survey response is not a classroom observation. A teacher who now rejects learning styles may still inherit lesson plans organised by visual, auditory and kinaesthetic categories. A school may continue to collect “learning style profiles” because they are part of existing procedures. The teacher’s answer on a questionnaire can change much faster than the routines of an institution. [OECD]oecd.orgBridging the research-practice gap in education (ENOECDBridging the research-practice gap in education (EN)May 11, 2025 — by U Hartmann · 2024 · Cited by 30 — RPPs can equip educators with…
This distinction appears in neuromyth research itself. Reviews of interventions report that belief reductions are possible, but they also note uncertainty about whether those changes reliably translate into altered instructional behaviour. Some studies have found improvements in knowledge and decreases in myth endorsement while leaving open the question of classroom implementation. [Frontiers]frontiersin.orgFrontiersInterventions to Dispel Neuromyths in Educational Settings…by L Rousseau · 2021 · Cited by 74 — Potential adverse effects of… [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCby RA Ferreira · 2022 · Cited by 51 — Overall, these results suggest that the SoL course significantly improved overall neuroscience l…
A further complication is that corrected information does not always fully replace prior thinking. Research on myth correction shows that erroneous ideas can continue to influence reasoning even after participants have accepted a correction. Someone may know that a claim is false while still falling back on it when making decisions under time pressure. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCby S Dekker · 2012 · Cited by 1291 — Results showed that on average, teachers believed 49% of the neuromyths, particularly myths relat…
Why Routines Can Preserve Myth-Based Practice
The main mechanism behind the practice gap is that teaching is not rebuilt from scratch each morning. It relies on habits, resources and organisational expectations that persist over time.
Existing materials create inertia
Many educational myths survive because they have generated a large ecosystem of resources. Learning-style questionnaires, differentiated worksheets, commercial programmes and training slides may already exist within a school. Replacing them requires effort, time and often money. Even when teachers stop believing the underlying claim, the materials remain available and familiar. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCby AEJ Bowen · 2025 · Cited by 5 — The purpose of integrating educational methods informed by research evidence into classroom setting…
This is especially relevant for neuromyths connected to commercial products. Research has long noted that myths frequently become attached to marketable educational programmes, increasing their visibility and durability. [PMC]pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govPMCby MPG Lithander · 2024 · Cited by 3 — Previous findings demonstrate that textual refutations are effective for correcting neuromyths…
Habits are easier to repeat than redesign
Teaching involves hundreds of decisions each day. In practice, educators often rely on established routines rather than continually revisiting the evidence behind every action. A teacher who has organised lessons around a myth for years may continue using familiar structures because they fit existing planning systems, not because the teacher still strongly believes the myth. [OECD Education and Skills Today]oecdedutoday.combridging gap between policy practice educationOECD Education and Skills TodayBridging the gap between policy and practice in education10 Sept 2021 — A teacher and an OECD education ex…
This helps explain why belief surveys can show improvement while classroom behaviour changes more slowly. The correction alters what teachers think, but habits continue to shape what teachers do.
School culture can outlast individual belief
Educational myths are often social rather than purely individual. A teacher may reject a misconception personally but work within a department that still uses the associated language. Labels such as “visual learner”, “left-brain learner” or other unsupported categories can persist because colleagues, school documents or leadership practices continue to employ them. [OECD Education and Skills Today]oecdedutoday.combridging gap between policy practice educationOECD Education and Skills TodayBridging the gap between policy and practice in education10 Sept 2021 — A teacher and an OECD education ex…
In these cases, changing one teacher’s belief does little unless the wider environment changes as well. The problem shifts from individual cognition to organisational implementation.
Alternative practices may be unclear
Debunking removes an answer, but teachers still need a replacement. If educators are told not to use a myth-based approach but are not given practical alternatives, the old routine may remain attractive simply because it is actionable. [Frontiers]frontiersin.orgFrontiersInterventions to Dispel Neuromyths in Educational Settings…by L Rousseau · 2021 · Cited by 74 — Potential adverse effects of…
For example, abandoning learning-style matching does not automatically tell a teacher how to plan lessons differently. Effective replacements—such as retrieval practice, spacing, explicit instruction or content-appropriate representations—must be translated into usable classroom procedures. Without that translation, correction can remain theoretical. [Department of Education]education.gov.auThe.Read moreDepartment of EducationEvidence-based teaching practices - Department of EducationDecember 4, 2023 — This report provides a summary of th…
A Concrete Example: Learning Styles After Debunking
Learning styles provide a useful illustration because they are among the most studied educational myths. Numerous reviews have found little evidence that matching instruction to a student’s preferred sensory modality improves learning outcomes. Yet the idea remains widespread in education. [The Guardian]theguardian.comteachers neuromyth learning styles scientists neuroscience educationThe GuardianTeachers must ditch 'neuromyth' of learning styles, say…12 Mar 2017 — Teaching children according to their individual “lea…
Imagine a teacher who attends a science-of-learning course and accepts that learning styles lack evidential support. The belief has changed. Yet several features of the school may remain untouched:
- Student records still contain learning-style classifications.
- Staff meetings still discuss pupils using those labels.
- Existing lesson templates still require modality-based differentiation.
- Purchased programmes still promote learning-style language.
The teacher may stop endorsing the myth intellectually while continuing to interact with systems built around it. The classroom therefore changes only partially, or not at all. This is precisely why reductions in belief should not be assumed to indicate reductions in myth-based practice. PMC [Frontiers]frontiersin.orgFrontiersInterventions to Dispel Neuromyths in Educational Settings…by L Rousseau · 2021 · Cited by 74 — Potential adverse effects of…
How Implementation Support Closes the Gap
Evidence from professional development and implementation research suggests that lasting classroom change requires more than information transfer. Training is most likely to influence practice when it is accompanied by structures that help teachers apply, refine and sustain new approaches. [OUP Academic]academic.oup.comOUP AcademicTeacher Professional Development around the World: The…by A Popova · 2022 · Cited by 662 — This paper proposes a set of in…
Several supports are particularly relevant:
Replacing materials, not just beliefs. Schools need to audit worksheets, intervention programmes, assessment tools and training resources that still embed myth-based assumptions. If the artefacts remain unchanged, old practices are likely to persist. [OECD]oecd.orgBridging the research-practice gap in education (ENOECDBridging the research-practice gap in education (EN)May 11, 2025 — by U Hartmann · 2024 · Cited by 30 — RPPs can equip educators with…
Providing practical alternatives. Teachers are more likely to abandon a myth when they receive a credible replacement strategy that can be used immediately in planning and instruction. [Frontiers]frontiersin.orgFrontiersInterventions to Dispel Neuromyths in Educational Settings…by L Rousseau · 2021 · Cited by 74 — Potential adverse effects of…
Using coaching and follow-up support. Professional development literature consistently finds that one-off workshops are weaker than approaches that include continued support, feedback and opportunities to refine implementation. [OUP Academic]academic.oup.comOUP AcademicTeacher Professional Development around the World: The…by A Popova · 2022 · Cited by 662 — This paper proposes a set of in…
Changing collective routines. School-wide language, templates and expectations often need revision. A myth embedded in organisational practice cannot be removed solely through individual persuasion. [OECD Education and Skills Today]oecdedutoday.combridging gap between policy practice educationOECD Education and Skills TodayBridging the gap between policy and practice in education10 Sept 2021 — A teacher and an OECD education ex…
The Key Critique of Debunking Success Claims
A common mistake is to treat reduced agreement with a myth as evidence that the educational problem has been solved. Belief measures are valuable because they reveal whether teachers have accepted a correction. But they are only one indicator of success. Classroom routines, resource use, planning habits and student experiences may tell a different story. [Frontiers]frontiersin.orgFrontiersInterventions to Dispel Neuromyths in Educational Settings…by L Rousseau · 2021 · Cited by 74 — Potential adverse effects of…
For that reason, the strongest evaluation of myth-correction efforts should ask two questions rather than one. First, did teachers stop believing the myth? Second, did teaching practices, materials and school routines change accordingly? The gap between those questions is where many educational misconceptions continue to survive, even after they have been successfully debunked. [OECD]oecd.orgBridging the research-practice gap in education (ENOECDBridging the research-practice gap in education (EN)May 11, 2025 — by U Hartmann · 2024 · Cited by 30 — RPPs can equip educators with…
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Endnotes
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11508907/Source snippet
PMCby MPG Lithander · 2024 · Cited by 3 — Previous findings demonstrate that textual refutations are effective for correcting neuromyths...
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Source: oecd.org
Title: Bridging the research-practice gap in education (EN)
Link: https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2024/07/bridging-the-research-practice-gap-in-education_2b6c087b/c0d3f781-en.pdfSource snippet
OECDBridging the research-practice gap in education (EN)May 11, 2025 — by U Hartmann · 2024 · Cited by 30 — RPPs can equip educators with...
Published: May 11, 2025
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9312647/Source snippet
PMCby RA Ferreira · 2022 · Cited by 51 — Overall, these results suggest that the SoL course significantly improved overall neuroscience l...
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Source: sciencedirect.com
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0361476X24000146Source snippet
•. Prompting students to be open to belief...
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3475349/Source snippet
PMCby S Dekker · 2012 · Cited by 1291 — Results showed that on average, teachers believed 49% of the neuromyths, particularly myths relat...
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Source: academic.oup.com
Link: https://academic.oup.com/wbro/article/37/1/107/6292021Source snippet
OUP AcademicTeacher Professional Development around the World: The...by A Popova · 2022 · Cited by 662 — This paper proposes a set of in...
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Source: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12630716/Source snippet
PMCby AEJ Bowen · 2025 · Cited by 5 — The purpose of integrating educational methods informed by research evidence into classroom setting...
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Source: sciencedirect.com
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2211949324000024Source snippet
Educational neuromyths and instructional practicesby P Tsang · 2024 · Cited by 14 — Educational neuromyths are known to exist amongst tea...
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Source: sciencedirect.com
Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2211949325000183Source snippet
One of the most prevalent neuromyths is the belief...Read more...
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Source: frontiersin.org
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.719692/fullSource snippet
FrontiersInterventions to Dispel Neuromyths in Educational Settings...by L Rousseau · 2021 · Cited by 74 — Potential adverse effects of...
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Source: oecdedutoday.com
Title: bridging gap between policy practice education
Link: https://oecdedutoday.com/bridging-gap-between-policy-practice-education/Source snippet
OECD Education and Skills TodayBridging the gap between policy and practice in education10 Sept 2021 — A teacher and an OECD education ex...
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Source: frontiersin.org
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.591923/fullSource snippet
The Persistence of Neuromyths in the Educational Settingsby M Torrijos-Muelas · 2021 · Cited by 273 — After two decades of publications o...
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Source: education.gov.au
Title: The.Read more
Link: https://www.education.gov.au/download/17488/aero-evidence-based-teaching-practices/35503/document/pdfSource snippet
Department of EducationEvidence-based teaching practices - Department of EducationDecember 4, 2023 — This report provides a summary of th...
Published: December 4, 2023
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Source: theguardian.com
Title: teachers neuromyth learning styles scientists neuroscience education
Link: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2017/mar/13/teachers-neuromyth-learning-styles-scientists-neuroscience-educationSource snippet
The GuardianTeachers must ditch 'neuromyth' of learning styles, say...12 Mar 2017 — Teaching children according to their individual “lea...
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Source: frontiersin.org
Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1407518/fullSource snippet
Why educators endorse a neuromyth: relationships among...by C Bresnahan · 2024 · Cited by 8 — This study investigated how belief in the...
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Source: researchgate.net
Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/384533127_The_Effect_of_Correcting_Neuromyths_on_Students%27_and_Teachers%27_Later_ReasoningSource snippet
The Effect of Correcting Neuromyths on Students' and...1 Oct 2024 — Dispelling the myth: Training in education or neuroscience decreases...
Additional References
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Source: unicef.org
Link: https://www.unicef.org/innocenti/media/10286/file/UNICEF-Innocenti-Bridging-Policy-Practice-Gaps-Education-in-Africa-December-2024.pdfSource snippet
Implement: Bridging the gap between policy and practiceTo support African education policymakers and partnerships, this paper is the fina...
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Source: papers.ssrn.com
Link: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/2f1bc73e-d86a-46f1-b30a-c86eca93438b-MECA.pdf?abstractid=4975128&mirid=1Source snippet
SSRNNeuromyths and their Application in Malaysian ClassroomsTherefore, the present study aims to determine the knowledge and belief in mi...
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Source: my.chartered.college
Link: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/teachers-understanding-of-neuromyths-a-role-for-educational-neuroscience-in-teacher-training/Source snippet
chartered.collegeTeachers' understanding of neuromyths: A role for...20 Sept 2022 — The current study aimed to understand the degree to...
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Source: wtgrantfoundation.org
Link: https://wtgrantfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/Ming_WTG-Digest-8.pdfSource snippet
(2023). Building evidence systems to integrate implementation research and practice in education. William T. Grant Foundation.Read more...
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Source: my.chartered.college
Title: neuromyths about special educational needs what should teachers know
Link: https://my.chartered.college/impact_article/neuromyths-about-special-educational-needs-what-should-teachers-know/Source snippet
about Special Educational Needs20 Sept 2022 — Neuromyths are often the result of miscommunication, and thus a greater dialogue is require...
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Source: niot.org.uk
Title: neuromyths in the classroom and the role of critical thinking
Link: https://niot.org.uk/insights/neuromyths-in-the-classroom-and-the-role-of-critical-thinkingSource snippet
3 Dec 2025 — Believing in neuromyths can lead teachers to adopt ineffective strategies, wasting time and resources that could be spent on...
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Source: cis.org.au
Title: knowledge is power what do teachers believe about learning
Link: https://www.cis.org.au/publication/knowledge-is-power-what-do-teachers-believe-about-learning/Source snippet
Knowledge is power: What do teachers believe about...30 Oct 2025 — Specific studies on certain neuromyths such as learning styles and he...
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Source: d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net
Link: https://d2tic4wvo1iusb.cloudfront.net/eef-guidance-reports/implementation/Professional-Development-Summary_2021-12-07-103959_aibu.pdfSource snippet
PUTTING EVIDENCE TO WORK: A SCHOOL'S GUIDE TO...The emphasis here is on how PD can help implement programmes and practices in schools...
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#LTHEchat185: Debunking Neuromyths in Education:...11 Oct 2020 — Unfortunately, not all these strategies are supported by valid evidence...
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