ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at the process of learning and different conceptions of how learning is brought about. The relationship between the internal changes in the brain and the external environment, which is under the influence of education, is of particular interest in improving the effectiveness of learning and teaching. The chapter looks at the structure of the brain. It explains what is known about its function that relates to learning: memory, emotions, and critical periods in learning. The chapter refers some popular myths about the brain which lack support of evidence from neuroscience. By using various non-intrusive techniques for identifying which areas of the brain are being activated during learning, it is possible to show how dependence on working memory changes with practice and gives rise to activity in the longer-term memory parts of the brain. Negative emotional responses can interrupt learning, as when a child experiences failure, and feels hopeless and lacks motivation to try to do better.
