How Our Brains Learn

In this episode of Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam interviews psychologist and neuroscientist Mary Helen Immordino-Yang about the science of engagement and motivation in educational settings. Immordino-Yang shares her personal experiences with disengagement in school and how she later found passion in science and woodworking. The conversation explores how students become deeply engaged when they can connect learning to their own lives and the world around them, a concept Immordino-Yang terms "transcendent thinking." She discusses studies involving teenagers and their responses to stories of adversity and crime, revealing the neurological underpinnings of engagement and resilience. The episode further delves into the qualities of expert teachers who foster emotional and developmental growth in their students, advocating for a shift in education that prioritizes human development over mere information transmission, emphasizing the importance of curiosity, deep engagement, and self-awareness in the learning process.