Session T-13 - Topics: Neuromyths and Academic Performance; Gendered Assessment Anxiety; Motivation Research

Neuromyths are common misconceptions about how the brain works. This study examined whether these beliefs are linked to academic performance. As part of McGill’s SciLearn program, students completed a 10‑item neuromyth questionnaire before and after a workshop on learning strategies. Students displayed a wide range of neuromyth beliefs and those who showed larger reductions in neuromyths post workshop earned higher final grades. These results suggest that correcting neuromyths through neuroscience‑informed workshops may improve academic performance by encouraging effective learning strategies.

Gender differences in assessment-related anxiety and study preparation may impact academic performance. Using survey data from 440 students across eight undergraduate science courses at McGill University, we analyzed open‑ended responses with a keyword-based approach. Women more often used anxiety and confidence-related language, men more often neutral language . Rehearsal strategies were slightly more common among women. This provides insights for instructors on student preparation and affect during assessments, possibly informing assessment design, instructional support, and interventions to reduce assessment-related anxiety.

Using observations to study motivation in real classrooms can help answer researchers’ questions, improve classroom environments, and allow instructors and researchers to collaborate towards common goals. In this talk, we describe our recent project using classroom observations and instructor surveys to understand the manifestation of competence-supportive teaching strategies in STEM undergraduate classrooms, highlighting and explaining differences between observations and instructor reports. Our work shows how instructors can benefit from observational research while helping researchers better understand motivationally supportive teaching.