Al Makzomy, Selma; (2025) Neuroplasticity knowledge, academic self-efficacy, and school achievement in children: A co-creation and intervention study. Presented at: Educational Neuroscience Collaboration and Research UK (ENCoRE) Conference 2025, London, UK.

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Abstract

Background: The proposed study investigates the effects of teaching neuroplasticity on the academic self-efficacy (ASE) and school achievement in children aged 5-7. This is an important developmental stage where understanding of the brain's ability to change in response to experiences has potential to influence academic attitudes and outcomes significantly. Growth mindset interventions, which emphasize the belief that abilities can improve through effort and perseverance, include neuroplasticity education alongside components like motivation, effort-related beliefs and strategies for success. These interventions are multifaceted, making it difficult to isolate the effect of brain education, and it is also unclear whether their broad scope is too abstract for younger children. Current research, focused mostly on older children, shows inconsistent findings due to methodological issues such as short intervention durations, internal validity concerns, task selection, ceiling effects, and control groups affected by experimental conditions. This study aims to address these issues through a multi-method design, targeting younger children in a non-WEIRD (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) sample. By focusing solely on simplified neuroplasticity education, we aim to determine if a streamlined approach is more effective for young children and how to tailor interventions for early education. / Methods: This study will follow a three-phase design: a meta-analysis of existing literature on growth mindset interventions and academic achievement in primary school, followed by a co-creation qualitative phase with parents and children to inform the final intervention's development. Regarding the intervention, the initial plan is a 6-week randomized controlled trial, with 60 children, (aged 5-7) from the UAE, equally divided into an intervention group and a control group. Dependent on the outcome of the qualitative phase, the intervention will comprise daily age-appropriate neuroplasticity lessons and activities (cartoon, book, play doh, games, etc.) designed to illustrate how the brain changes with experience and learning. Academic self-efficacy and achievement will be measured pre-intervention, post-intervention, at 6-week, and at 6-month follow-ups using standardized ASE scales adapted for young children. Reading fluency and math assessments will also be administered to control for ongoing learning. / Expected results: Study 1: The meta-analysis is expected to find smaller positive effects, and if any are observed, it will highlight the need to investigate neuroplasticity education’s unique contribution. If no effects are found, it may indicate that growth mindset interventions are too abstract or complex for primary school children, and a simpler, neuroplasticity-focused intervention could be more effective. Study 2: The co-creation phase will gather qualitative insights from children and parents to ensure the intervention is age-appropriate, culturally relevant, and engaging, refining its content, delivery, and evaluation metrics. Study 3: The intervention is expected to lead to significant improvements in ASE and academic achievement in the intervention group compared to the control group, with sustained effects observed at follow-ups. Conclusion and Implications: By addressing current methodological challenges in neuroplasticity research, and extending this to non-WEIRD populations, this research could contribute to a global perspective on educational neuroscience. The intervention has potential implications for inclusive educational practices to support young learners in their cognitive and emotional development and academic success.

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