Abstract

Early childhood is marked by heightened neural plasticity, yet the translation of developmental neuroscience into teacher education remains limited. This study evaluated the Neuro-embedded Lesson Design (NLD) module, designed to strengthen pre-service teachers’ integration of neuroscience evidence into lesson planning. A quasi-experimental pre–post design was conducted with 29 early childhood education undergraduates in Thailand. The intervention combined neuroscience briefs, evidence-to-lesson alignment mapping, and micro-teaching with reflective practice. Instruments included a knowledge test, an NLD rubric, a metacognition scale, and a recognition-of-evidence-value (RvA) measure. Results revealed significant gains in neuroscience knowledge (F(1,27) = 42.51, p < .001, η² = .61) and in NLD quality (F(1,27) = 58.73, p < .001, η² = .68). Moreover, metacognitive awareness (β = .42) and RvA (β = .38) significantly predicted lesson quality, jointly explaining 31% of the variance. These findings indicate that the NLD module advances a translational framework embedding neuroscience into teacher education, with metacognition and epistemic valuation emerging as critical mediators. Beyond demonstrating knowledge gains, the study highlights theoretical, practical, and policy pathways for bridging research and pedagogy in early childhood education.

 

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