Academic News Report

In Volume 285 of “Neuroimage” (2024), there is a published article entitled “Bridging Stories and Science: An fNIRS-Based Hyperscanning Investigation into Child Learning in STEM”. This article was co-authored by Juan Zhang and others, with the research team hailing from the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the University of Macau. The online version of this article was published on December 8, 2023. The study mainly explores the impact of different STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) teaching methods (traditional teaching, storytelling, and storyboard teaching) on the neural synchrony between teachers and students using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology.

Research Background

STEM education is crucial in the early stages of learning. Scientists have been striving to find more effective STEM teaching methods to enhance student learning outcomes. However, there is still a scarcity of research on the differences in the impact of various teaching methods at the neural level, especially in terms of brain synchronization between teachers and students. To fill this research gap, this study utilizes fNIRS technology to focus on the effect of three different teaching methods on neural synchronization and learning outcomes in elementary students.

Source of the Paper and Authors

The main authors of this paper are Juan Zhang, Yihui Wang, Chantat Leong, Yidi Mao, and Zhen Yuan, all from the Faculty of Education, Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Centre for Cognitive and Brain Sciences at the University of Macau. The research findings were published online in the authoritative academic journal “Neuroimage” on December 8, 2023.

Research Process and Methods

Research Process

This study employed a meticulous experimental procedure comprising several steps: 1. Participant Recruitment and Preliminary Testing: A total of 39 first and second-grade elementary students were recruited. Their average age was approximately 6.9 ± 0.48 years. Prior to the experiment, the Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices (SPM) and a pretest on STEM knowledge were conducted. 2. Teaching and fNIRS Data Collection: The experiment included traditional teaching, storytelling, and storyboard teaching conditions. Teachers and children sat face-to-face, with a teaching duration of 6 minutes and a 1-minute break between each pair of teaching conditions. During this period, the fNIRS system was used to simultaneously measure changes in oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR) in both teachers and students. 3. Data Processing and Statistical Analysis: Specific algorithms were used to clean data noise, wavelet coherence analysis (WTC) was adopted to evaluate inter-brain synchrony, followed by frequency domain analysis and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Experimental Materials and Testing Tools

• Experimental Textbooks: Three STEM books for children aged 6 to 9 were selected, covering topics such as magnetism, speed, and friction. The researchers designed matching teaching scripts and ensured consistency in content and format for each teaching session.
• Behavioral Measurement Tools: The Raven’s Standard Progressive Matrices and self-developed STEM pre- and post-test questionnaires were used.

Research Results and Data Analysis

Behavioral Results

The pre- and post-tests of the students’ STEM knowledge were used to evaluate the impact of different teaching methods on student learning outcomes. The experimental results showed: - Under traditional teaching conditions, the pre-test score was 1.90 ± 1.01, and the post-test score was 2.23 ± 1.02. - Under storytelling conditions, the pre-test score was 1.97 ± 1.02, and the post-test score was 2.41 ± 1.05. - Under storyboard teaching conditions, the pre-test score was 2.10 ± 0.90, and the post-test score was 2.38 ± 0.98.

Inter-Brain Synchrony Results

To assess the differences in inter-brain synchrony between teachers and students under the three teaching conditions, ANOVA was conducted. The results showed significant differences in inter-brain synchrony between teachers and students in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG), left angular gyrus (AG), and left and right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) in the 0.28–0.38 Hz frequency band (p < 0.05, FDR corrected). Specifically, inter-brain synchrony in the left and right IFG regions was significantly lower under traditional teaching conditions compared to storytelling conditions; inter-brain synchrony in the left STG and AG regions was significantly lower under traditional teaching conditions compared to storyboard teaching conditions.

The Impact of Prior Knowledge on Inter-Brain Synchrony

ANOVA revealed no significant differences in inter-brain synchrony among students with different levels of prior knowledge under the three teaching conditions.

Correlation Between Inter-Brain Synchrony and Learning Outcomes

Further correlation analysis was conducted to evaluate the relationship between inter-brain synchrony and students’ learning outcomes. The results indicated that under storytelling conditions, there was a significant positive correlation between inter-brain synchrony in the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and student learning outcomes (r = 0.39, p = 0.013). Under storyboard teaching conditions, there was a significant positive correlation between inter-brain synchrony in the left IFG region and the increase in student test scores (r = 0.37, p = 0.02).

Research Conclusions and Value

This study is the first to use fNIRS technology to evaluate the impact of different STEM teaching methods on neural synchrony and learning outcomes between teachers and students. Key findings include: 1. Story-related teaching methods significantly enhanced inter-brain synchrony between teachers and students: Particularly in brain regions such as the IFG, STG, and AG, storytelling and storyboard teaching significantly increased the level of neural synchrony during teaching. 2. Inter-brain synchrony was significantly correlated with learning outcomes: Under storytelling and storyboard teaching conditions, synchrony in specific brain regions was significantly positively correlated with student learning outcomes, suggesting that neural synchrony may be a predictor of STEM teaching effectiveness. 3. Prior knowledge had no significant impact on inter-brain synchrony: Students with different levels of prior knowledge exhibited similar levels of neural synchrony during teaching, indicating the potential educational value of storytelling and storyboard teaching methods for students with varying knowledge backgrounds.

Research Highlights

• Innovative Research Methods: The use of fNIRS technology to simultaneously measure brain activity in both teachers and students provides a more objective and in-depth analysis of the learning process.
• Practical Educational Insights: The research results emphasize the potential of storytelling and storyboard teaching in STEM education, particularly in promoting neural synchrony between teachers and students and enhancing learning outcomes.

This study provides new perspectives and evidence on the neural-level impacts of different teaching methods, offering important reference value and application potential for future STEM education research and practice.