Exploring Educational Neuroscience as a Professional Practice
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1344/joned.v5i1.46064Keywords:
Educational Neuroscience, Profession, Career Opportunities, Mind, Brain, and Education, Job DescriptionAbstract
Educational neuroscience can be viewed through two lenses: as an academic discipline and as a professional practice. This review specifically focuses on the latter, arguing that a clear picture of the professional landscape of the field is as important as defining its disciplinary boundaries. In this context, the first part of this review examines whether educational neuroscience meets the criteria for professional specialisation. The analysis shows that educational neuroscience fulfills the standards of a professional specialty, with experts having the necessary training and skills to provide educational services to individuals, groups, or organ-izations. Consequently, they deserve legal authorization and formal recognition like their peers from other disciplines. However, in order to pave the way for professional recognition, educational neuroscientists must clearly outline career op-portunities within the field and ar ticulate the roles and skills each career requires. Accordingly, the second part of the paper is dedicated to identifying potential career opportunities for graduates in educational neuroscience. Currently, career opportunities for educational neuroscientists are often limited to academic roles in colleges and universities or involvement in research institutions. However, as the field develops, there’s potential for a wider range of new and exciting career opportunities, such as scientist-practitioners working with educators to design effective pedagogical interventions and educational science writers translating complex scientific findings into clear and accessible materials for the public. To help the field flourish as a profession, it is strongly recommended digital net works be created for educational neuroscience professionals from diverse backgrounds. These networks would provide opportunities for them to share experiences, exchange perspectives, and actively shape professional practice within the field.
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