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Individual differences in science competence among students are associated with ventrolateral prefrontal cortex
Geneviève Allaire-Duquette1, Michel Bélanger2, Roland H Grabner3
1Laboratory for Research in Neuroeducation, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
Journal of Neuroscience Research
|May 12, 2019
Summary
Higher science competence correlates with stronger brain activation in prefrontal areas. This suggests enhanced inhibitory control mechanisms in students with greater conceptual science understanding.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Science Education
- Neuroimaging
Background:
- Neuroimaging reveals experts activate prefrontal areas (dorsolateral and ventrolateral) for inhibitory control in science tasks.
- Previous research has not linked specific prefrontal cortex (VLPC, DLPC) activation to individual differences in conceptual science competence, controlling for training.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPC) and dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPC) activation and conceptual science competence.
- To explore how inhibitory control mechanisms differ in students with varying levels of science understanding.
Main Methods:
- Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to study 24 secondary school students.
- Participants were grouped into low and high conceptual science competence based on questionnaire performance.
- An fMRI block design involved verifying congruent and incongruent scientific statements.
Main Results:
- Students with higher conceptual science competence showed greater activation in the left VLPC and DLPC during incongruent trials compared to congruent trials.
- This differential activation highlights the role of inhibitory control in science reasoning.
Conclusions:
- Activation of the VLPC and DLPC during reasoning in incongruent situations is linked to individual differences in conceptual science competence.
- More conceptually competent students appear to recruit inhibitory control mechanisms more strongly.
Keywords:
fMRIindividual differencesinhibitory controlprefrontal cortexscience competencestudent conceptionsMore Related Videos
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