基于镜像神经元的教育:新“神经神话”的诞生?

Education Based on Mirror Neurons:The Birth of a New Neuromyth?

镜像神经元是近二十年来神经科学领域内的重要发现,近来国内有学者试图以其为基础建构一个所谓的"镜像教育"方案。然而,通过系统回顾与剖析相关领域的众多争议及其科学性误解,发现该方案不过是神经教育学背景下诞生的一个新"神经神话"。究其根源,教育学领域中科学沙文主义与常识自由主义这对孪生文化之间的内在冲突滋生了此类神话。澄清镜像神经元系统与教育活动之间的精确关系必须建立在系统化的理论与长期谨慎的实验室实验之上。未来的研究亟待重视以下几个方面。首先,确认镜像神经元系统参与了哪些与教育和学习相关的脑神经机制;其次,考察在哪些情境下增强镜像神经元系统的活动有助于教育,在哪些情境下则需要抑制其活动;再次,任何基于镜像神经元的教育都必须警惕盲目的急功近利。

One of the most remarkable contributions of cognitive neuroscience in the past twenty years or so was the discovery of ＂mirror neurons＂ （MNs） in brains of macaque monkeys. Based on the mirror neurons and their related researches, some educators put forward an applied educational blueprint called ＂mirror education＂. However, by systematically reviewing and analyzing the multitudinous disputes as well as the mis-understanding of its scientificity in the related areas, such blueprint has been proved to be nothing but a new ＂neuromyth＂ which was born in the background of neuroeducation. This is mainly due to the contradictions between Scientific Chauvinism and Commonsensible Liberalism in pedagogy. Clarifying the exact relationship between mirror neuron system and educational activity must depend on systematic theories and long-term cautious lab experiments. We should pay attention to the following aspects in future studies： first, to confirm which neural mechanisms of education and learning are involved in the mirror neurons system ; second, to identify in which social contexts we need to strengthen the mirror neuron activity and in which we need to inhibit it in order to promote education; third, all the educational practices that based on mirror neurons must be cautious for seeking quick success and instant benefits blindly.