FUNDAMENTAL SCIENCE AND PRACTICE: FROM A MULTIDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS OF LEARNING, MEMORY AND MORAL JUDGEMENTS TO APPLIED METHODS OF EDUCATION

Abstract

Analysis of new results from psychology (including psychophysiology, cross-cultural psychology, moral psychology) and neuroscience obtained by us and other authors in experimental studies of learning, memory, and moral judgements allows us to identify areas of research, the development of which can be useful for improving methods of teaching and bringing up. We discuss the problems of the direct transfer of principles revealed in fundamental science to practice, as well as problems of formulation of new teaching methods based on these principles. We reason that the transition from fundamental knowledge to the practice of education is effective when mediated by a special intermediate stage of applied research. The statements based on fundamental research are formulated along with the results of corresponding applied studies that we carried out in cooperation with teachers from schools in different regions. We offer versions of practical recommendations arising from the results of these studies. In conclusion, the significance of tactical and strategic research for the achievement of practice-oriented results is compared to the scientific, “internal” goals of fundamental science per se.