Impacts of Involving Young Learners in Mind, Brain, and Education Research

As the field of Mind, Brain, and Education (MBE) continues to grow, MBE researchers have begun expanding the scope of their investigations and approaches. One such development is the establishment of collaborative partnership with young learners, both to inform research practices and to develop student-researchers. We explore how middle school students (ages 12 to 14 years) engage in MBE research through an assistantship program, initiated through a unique research-practice partnership that embeds MBE researchers and an electrophysiology laboratory into a school. In this program, student-researchers learn about experimental methods, assist with university research protocols, and drive independent projects. Here, we detail this program and report on its impact from both the teacher and student-researcher perspectives. Overall, we find that daily involvement in scientific research aids the holistic development of student-researchers by fostering academic and nonacademic skills that may transcend formal learning environments.