NEUROSCIENCIENCE APPLIED TO THE CLASSROOM

The PASS theory , developed by Das, Naglieri, and Kirby (1994), offers an innovative approach to intelligence and cognitive processes. This theory conceives of intelligence as the unique way each individual solves problems and faces learning challenges. Therefore, learning difficulties are considered manifestations of cognitive functioning, not mere deficiencies. According to PASS theory, IQ is not a reliable measure of intellectual ability. Traditional psychometric tests do not reflect the complexity of individual cognitive processes. On the contrary, learning and intellectual development are dynamic and malleable, and can be improved with appropriate pedagogical strategies and metacognitive work.

The importance of metacognition from an early age

Metacognition allows children to understand how they think, manage their emotions, and optimize their learning. When developed from an early age, it becomes a solid foundation for acquiring new knowledge and skills. This strengthens confidence, autonomy, and problem-solving abilities.

The role of emotions in the classroom

Metaphors are effective tools for explaining how the brain works. Through them, the importance of emotional work is highlighted: emotions form the foundation upon which cognition is built. When children learn to recognize and channel their emotions, their cognitive and creative abilities improve significantly.

Flexible intelligence and personalized learning

The PASS theory positions intelligence as a flexible process that integrates knowledge, emotion, and metacognition. This allows for maximizing each student’s individual potential and creating meaningful, personalized, and lasting learning.

The first pill in this 10-part series lays the foundation for the subsequent ones, serving as an introduction to what follows. This module covers the fundamentals of neuroscience, explores the importance of metacognitive work from an early age and how it can become essential for later learning, while emphasizing the concept of intelligence as something that can be developed and is not static.

By using metaphors, we can explain how the human brain works. In this particular module, we have selected three practical metaphors that illustrate the importance of emotional work in the classroom. The relevance of the emotional dimension is presented, along with how it can allow the cognitive dimension to develop to its fullest potential, placing the ability to give due importance to the emotional aspect in the acquisition of these skills first and foremost as the foundation of learning.

This practice was applied in Solsona, Lleida, Catalonia.