@TeacherToolkit
Ross Morrison McGill founded @TeacherToolkit in 2007, and today, he is one of the ‘most followed educators’on social media in the world. In 2015, he was nominated as one of the ‘500 Most Influential People in Britain’ by The Sunday Times as a result of…
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Do expert teachers really think differently when students go off-task?
This research used brainwave data to show how expert and novice teachers process students’ intentions and behaviours. I take a closer look at the neural differences …
What did this study measure?
This new neuroscience study, Expert and Novice Teachers’ Cognitive Neural Differences in Understanding Students’ Classroom Action Intentions (Lin et al., 2024), explored how teachers interpret classroom behaviours.
Using EEG data and classroom scenario images, it found that expert teachers engage in deeper cognitive processing when trying to understand why students behave as they do. This study (n = 38) used event-related potential (ERP) technology – or brain scanning – to see how expert and novice teachers interpret students’ actions. For example, seeing a student raise their hand.
Participants viewed classroom images showing either normative or non-normative behaviours, following prompts asking “how” or “why” the action occurred.
The results revealed that novice teachers exhibited more brain activity early on when recognising actions – especially familiar, normative ones. Expert teachers, however, showed greater activity during later stages, indicating deeper evaluation and stronger social cognition, particularly when judging unexpected (non-normative) behaviours.
These neural differences show that teacher expertise changes how the brain processes classroom information.
Why experience matters
Understanding a student’s intention is critical to responding effectively. Behaviour isn’t just about disruption; it’s communication. While novice teachers may respond to the surface behaviour, experts interpret what lies beneath.
Image credit: Lin et al., 2024
Making this work in your setting
This research shows that expert teachers draw on classroom experience to process student behaviour more deeply. This isn’t just faster reaction – it’s reflective insight, built from years of pattern recognition and feedback in real-time classrooms.
By showing actual brain differences, the study supports the idea that expert intuition is underpinned by developed cognitive skill – something which can be nurtured in all teachers. Teachers can develop this insight through practice and reflection, and perhaps behaviour CPD should include:
- Video-based tasks where teachers interpret student behaviour with “why” prompts.
- Mentoring systems allowing discussion about intention and not just reaction.
- Reflection logs focusing on challenging student moments, exploring both the emotional and cognitive teacher responses.
Over time, this could help build the neural patterns seen in expert teachers, making classroom decisions less reactive and more informed.
Image credit: Lin et al., 2024
Reflection questions for teachers:
- How often do teachers consider the intention behind a student’s behaviour?
- Are novice teachers given time to reflect on classroom incidents with guidance?
- Do school CPD sessions help develop social cognition in teaching?
- How might understanding brain responses help reshape teacher training?
- Can teachers be supported to move beyond surface-level behaviour management?
- What is in place to develop expert judgement in the early years of teaching?
- Are non-normative behaviours discussed openly and analysed for intention?
- How do feedback systems encourage or block teacher reflection?
- How are video case studies used to prompt deep thinking?
- What opportunities exist for school leaders to model deep behavioural analysis?
Teachers working in primary, secondary or further education can adapt this approach by starting with “why” discussions in CPD and mentoring. Ask teachers to bring one behaviour they found difficult and spend time unpacking it – not just solving it.
The research concludes:
Compared with novices, expert teachers demonstrated different patterns of brain activity, produc[ing] late and sustained processing in understanding students’ classroom action intentions.
Download the full paper to explore all the insights.
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