Active Strategies for the Development of Behavior and Cognition in Young People

Dear Colleagues,

Active strategies for the development of behavior and cognition in young people have gained significant attention due to the high number of projects exploring the relationship between active learning and behavioral/cognitive–academic aspects. Key variables include active methodologies, movement across the curriculum, active breaks with or without cognitive demand, active breaks or active beginnings and specific interventions during Physical Education classes or extracurricular programs. These have emerged as particularly interesting stimuli that affect behavior and cognition from an early age. Among the variables of interest, this Special Issue focuses on learning and teaching strategies, student behavior, psychosocial and emotional variables or cognitive–academic variables such as executive function.

Potential topics:

• Active methodologies and behavior/cognition in young people.
• Active commuting or active starts and behavior/cognition.
• Active recesses/active breaks and behavior/cognition in schoolchildren.
• Physical Education and behavior/cognition.
• Teaching and learning process to improve behavior/cognition in young people.
• Effects of physical activity on behavior/cognition or psychosocial/emotional variables in young people.
• Didactic and psychological factors that affect behavior or cognitive–academic performance in young people.

We encourage empirical research, qualitative, quantitative or mixed analysis, systematic reviews, meta-analysis and case studies. Both longitudinal or cross-sectional studies that track any of these variables annually or even compare countries and/or cultures will also be considered. The presentation of other analyses on related topics is also welcome, and authors are invited to discuss these possibilities with the Editors.

Prof. Dr. Alberto Ruiz-Ariza
Guest Editor

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• physical education
• active learning
• active methodologies
• didactic
• neuroscience
• cognition 

Title: The Analysis/Insights of Active Use of the Neuroscience Findings in Teaching and Learning
Authors: Ausra Daugirdiene1,2, Jurate Cesnaviciene3, Agne Brandisauskiene1,
Affiliation: 1- Education Research Institute, Education Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio St. 58, LT-44248 Kaunas, Lithuania 2-Institute of Psychology, Vilnius University, Universiteto St. 9, LT-01513 Vilnius, Lithuania 3-Teacher Training Institute, Education Academy, Vytautas Magnus University, K. Donelaičio Str. 52, LT-44244 Kaunas, Lithuania
Abstract: The aim of this paper is to show how knowledge about the nervous system can be used in teaching and learning. In our view, understanding good teaching is about identifying how it engages the underlying cognitive and neurosystemic processes of the human brain in relation to learning. Using the student self-assessment questionnaire "Brain-Based Teaching Strategies", we have investigated several key processes involved in neurodidactics (exitation, perception, memory, and the use, transfer and application of information/actions). The sample consisted of 884 7-10th grade students. The results showed that students' neurostimulation, perception, and consolidation of educational material are related to the direct work of the teacher and the teaching strategies he/she applies to attract and stimulate the student's attention and to help the student to understand and remember information. The learning strategies used by the student reflect the learner's learning activity, i.e. the use and application of strategies that allow internal knowledge to emerge. The consolidation of the learning material and the learning strategies used by the student is statistically significantly higher in the girls' sample. There are significant differences between students with low and high achievement in consolidation of teaching materials and learning strategies applied by learners. The paper provides practical recommendations for teachers.