Evidenced-based teaching methods are activities to be used in school that are based on published scientific researches and studies conducted to improve the learning performance of the brain.
One of which is the enhancement of environment from 12 weeks pregnancy to 12 year old as concluded in the study conducted by Lewis Terman in the early nineteen hundreds supported by James Heckman on 1990s.
What maybe promising activity today for better study habits and performance was based on the study done by psychologist Walter Michel on the attention span of children on Marsmallow Test in preschoolers where they are given marsmallow and eat it right away or waited for more minutes to get two instead. After tracking till high school, children who waited longer had a higher SAT than those who didn’t. They are also better in attention span during their teen age years and were less likely to involve in behavioral problems.
Terrie Moffit also conducted a similar study on relationship of self-control and success based on hyperactivity, persistence, impulsivity, aggression and attention. And again, those who scored low translated to financial problems, crime, struggling in school, smoking and antisocial behavior.
Given these evidences, it makes more sense for the teachers to engage their pupils activities that promotes self-control, mindfulness and motivation.
One clear example is the MindUP activity used in Canada, Australia, America and United Kingdom. In MindUP, it is common to hear the breathing exercises and learning about function the parts of the brain and its functions.
Scientifically, breathing exercise boosted the memory cells of the brain; they are learning to pay attention to moment to moment events without thinking too much about them, and how to control their behavior and reduced anxiety.
There are many more studies that can be used as evidence to modify, improve and enhance our activities for a better school performance of our school children.
By: FREDERICK Y. SIMBOL | Principal II | Lamao Elementary School | Lamao, Bataan
