Role of Mirror Neurons in the Learning Process
@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…
Read more about @TeacherToolkit
Can watching others help students learn faster and understand better?
It is considered that mirror neurons facilitate the imitative learning process; students learn by observing others, fostering empathy, social behaviour, and skill acquisition through imitation.
Understanding mirror neurons and their role in learning
Mirror neurons are a special class of brain cells that activate both when performing an action and observing others perform the same action. In ‘The Function of Mirror Neurons in the Learning Process paper (Daniel Mara, 2017), social learning and empathy, particularly in children, is explored.
These neurons are the brain’s natural mechanism for understanding actions, intentions, and emotions. Discovered in the 1990s in primates, these neurons are now known to exist in humans.
They activate when a person observes someone else performing an action, allowing the observer to ‘simulate’ the action mentally. In teaching, this process – is called modelling – helps students learn by watching and imitating others, making it particularly significant in the early years when children acquire fundamental behaviours, skills, and social norms.
As a teacher, I demonstrated techniques for my students every lesson I knew it worked, but I had no idea why! Modelling a step-by-step processes must be made explicit by all teachers — a practice now supported by neuroscience research on mirror neurons!
Using mirror neurons to enhance classroom practice
Knowing more about mirror neurons helps teachers how to enable learning through imitation. Neuroscience research links these neurons to empathy, abstract thinking, and even speech development, and provides a scientific basis for designing activities that enhance both cognitive and emotional learning.
Interestingly, the malfunction of mirror neurons – “both psychiatric and neurologic” – has been associated with conditions such as autism, where difficulties with social interaction and imitation are prevalent. For teachers, understanding this may help neurodiverse students connect with peers and new ideas more effectively.
How to apply this research in your classroom?
Teachers can apply this research in classrooms by:
Demonstration and Modelling: Actively model behaviours or skills, such as problem-solving or empathy, while narrating the thought process to reinforce understanding.
Role Play and Group Work: Encourage 
collaborative tasks where students observe, imitate, and learn from peers to enhance engagement and social skills.
Multisensory Lessons: Combine physical movement with verbal and visual instruction to stimulate neural connections.
Empathy Training: Include structured activities that teach students to identify and respond to others’ emotions, fostering stronger social bonds.
Reflection: mirror neurons in your teaching approach
- How can teachers integrate modelling techniques to enhance learning?
- What role does group work play in fostering empathy and collaboration?
- How might modelling learning in stages activate mirror neurons in students?
- Could mirror neuron research support students with neurodiversity?
- How can teachers include explicit empathy training in lessons?
- Are there opportunities to incorporate role play into everyday teaching practices?
- How might understanding mirror neurons change how teachers approach behaviour management?
- How can schools support teachers to implement neuroscience-based strategies in the classroom?
The research concludes
… while observing an action conducted by another human being, the neuronal system activates as if the person itself would carry out the activity. (Daniel Mara, 2017)
Download the full paper to learn more.
Related
Source link
