Adolescent Brain Research Paper

Ian Hale

Winona State University

 The two most important times in the development of the human brain occur in early

childhood (from the prenatal environment to around 18 months old), and in the rapid period of

growth in adolescence. These are also the times in which environmental stimulative effects can

have their greatest impact. As educators, there obviously isn’t much effect we can have on a

child’s early cognitive development, but we can have some positive impact on student brain

development in our classrooms during adolescence. The past few decades of neuroscientific

research has yielded much evidence to map out the structural differences between developing

adolescent brains and adult brains, as well as the types of environmental stimuli that can aid

those developing brains to achieve their potential. This analysis will cover the basics of brain

development, followed by discussing some implications that this understanding will have in the

classroom, as well as offering a few suggestions for effective teaching practices in light of what

is known about the adolescent brain.

Broadly speaking, there are three main areas of brain development: the physiological

centers, the emotional centers, and the cognitive centers (Von Stultz, 2010). The physiological

refers to the lower regions of the brain, those parts of the brain responsible for the most basic

functions in order to sustain life. Heart rate, respiration, blood pressure and other primary

biological functions are controlled by the physiological (lower) centers of the brain. These

regions are essentially set well before adolescence. Emotional centers are located in the middle

part of the brain and are the next to develop. These areas are responsible for primal emotional

instincts such as sexual impulses, aggressiveness, and sense of attachment. The cognitive centers,

located on the outer regions of the brain, are the last to develop and continue to grow beyond

adolescence into the middle twenties. The human brain grows from the bottom up in early

childhood, and then from the inside out as we get older (Von Stultz, 2010). The important
regions for our focus on the adolescent brain are in the emotional, and most especially in the

cognitive centers.

The second major brain growth spurt (after in utero to 18 months) in a person’s life

occurs around the ages of 10-13 where brain cells are growing at a rapid rate. It is the subsequent

teen years that are crucial in the organizing of neural pathways. This is a process known as

“pruning”. The brain is no longer growing at a rapid rate, but it is refining itself and forming

patterns that will have lasting impact throughout the life of an individual. Essentially the brain

works in a “use it or lose it” manner in which cell functions that are not used are discarded, as

energy and resources are directed to the pathways of the brain that are actually used (Von Stultz,

2010). It is because of this refinement and pruning period after the second major brain growth

spurt that the need for novelty and stimulation for teens is so high. Exposing adolescents to a

variety of experiences is important, and educators can play an important role in this process.

The brain still does continue to grow well into adulthood however, and the main area of

growth is in the frontal lobe. Up until around age 25 or so, people are still creating the cells of

refinement. The frontal lobe (region of the brain behind the forehead) is the area primarily

responsible for “executive functioning”, planning, reasoning, and the controlling of impulses

(Von Stultz, 2010). Executive functioning refers to the higher order cognitive tasks. Working

memory, or the ability to recall things from long term memory as well as the ability to hold these

things in mind while manipulating information, the ability to self motivate and start projects, the

ability to pay attention, as well as the ability finish those projects are all examples of executive

functioning (Von Stultz, 2010). These are also examples of important life skills which educators

can help students to develop.

 Other areas of higher order adolescent cognitive development is in the increasing ability

to control one’s emotions, the exercise of self control by thinking before acting, and the

acceptance of the need to defer gratification. These are perhaps the most challenging areas for

teachers to have impact because of the many competing areas of influence in a teen’s life that

may be cultivating bad habits such as peer groups, family environment and elsewhere. The

ability to think beyond black and white, bringing abstract concepts into personal relevance, and

defining values and developing a moral compass are also coming into focus in adolescence (Von

Stultz, 2010).

Not all students (or even adults for that matter) will achieve high levels of executive

functioning of course, and people vary considerably in the rates in which they develop. In many

cases, a student may be physically quite mature, but the cognitive and emotional development is

lagging. The reverse can also be true. The important thing for an educator is to build

relationships with their students to get a better understanding of where they are, as well as having

a decent understanding of adolescent brain development and knowing what to look for. If a

student has a difficult time starting projects or planning things, can’t tell or write a story in a

linear fashion without getting distracted, has trouble with memorization strategies, or otherwise

exhibits behaviors consistent with low executive level functioning, these are things an educator

can take stock of and organize their student learning strategies accordingly (Von Stultz, 2010).

As alluded to earlier, neuroscience has shown that the adult brain is very different from

the adolescent, and these physical differences mean different mental characteristics we would

expect to find in students. The adult mind is characterized by more logical, linear thinking

whereas the adolescent brain tends to be more emotionally driven (Von Stultz, 2010). Some

common behaviors we see among teens are a higher likelihood of engaging in risky behavior, the
inability to control their impulses, an underdeveloped sense of moral responsibility and a

lessened ability to anticipate consequences. Because adolescents are developing their abstract

reasoning and moral sensibilities at this time, it also often causes teens to be more self conscious.

Heightened social anxiety levels and concern about what other people think (perceived image to

others) are hallmarks of adolescence (Von Stultz, 2010).

Beyond the typical attributes and challenges associated with a developing adolescent

mind, there are also more extreme environmental factors that can negatively impact this

development. Sleep deprivation, poor diet, an undiagnosed health issue, traumatic experiences,

mental health problems, and substance abuse are a few factors that pose major challenges to

normal cognitive development. The challenge for educators is to help build resiliency. That is,

help them form healthy relationships, be a good model of ethical behavior, avail them of an array

of positive activities, and aid in developing a problem-solving and self directed set of skills (Von

Stultz, 2010).

As described previously, the activity in the frontal lobe is where memory, attention and

inhibition are altered as a result of synaptic pruning in adolescence (Wilson & Horch, 2002).

This important neural pathway refinement has major implications in the classroom. One such

way this understanding can be applied by teachers is to hold students’ attention by means of

giving them sensorimotor experiences. Research has shown use of music, touch, smell and

emotion in a lesson helps students focus on learning (Wilson & Horch, 2002). Inquiry and

problem based learning coupled with sensorimotor activities is another empirically validated

approach. That is, encouraging students to ask questions that interest them in relation to the

topic, and facilitating different problem solving strategies while incorporating use of the senses
and emotions in a lesson to focus the brain and build those complex neuron connections (Wilson

& Horch, 2002).

There are specific classroom activities and teaching strategies known to refine attention

and memory. Learning requires both retention and recall and one of the best ways of retaining

information is to teach for the purpose of meaning or student understanding (Sousa, 2001).

Providing meaning means not simply teaching to the test, or a certain set of rigid standards, but

rather giving student activities that allow them to demonstrate mastery and understanding of the

content. Some examples of specific classroom activities are: reflective writing, simulations that

help aid understanding of complex ethical issues, peer collaborative or group projects to aid in

understanding and build social skills, use of visual and word problems or puzzles, and even

physical or tactile activities that involve problem solving (Wilson & Horch, 2002). Field trips

and outside apprenticeships are other activities that could be used beyond the classroom.

The major point is that the learning process should be varied. The more pathways that can

be built from a broad range of stimulative activities the better. A varied curriculum of activities

and teaching approaches not only serves to help prune and refine the developing adolescent

mind, it also breaks up the monotony and keeps students (and teachers) motivated. It also

respects the various cognitive levels and learning styles of different students. If one approach to a

given lesson isn’t effective for a particular student, another might be. There is even evidence that

gender affects how a student is likely to learn and respond to stress. Males tend to thrive in

higher stress environments (such as when they are participating in a competitive activity) while

females typically do not (Wilson & Horch, 2002). This understanding demonstrates further

reason to keep the approach varied so one set of students are not underserved.
 Adolescence is a critical time for teachers to provide their students with rich, complex

and stimulating experiences. Knowledge of the teenaged mind generally, and familiarity with the

specific needs of individual students are crucial for teachers to be the best educators and

exemplars of ethical behavior they can be. Taking the time to understand all the complex

variables that go in to effectively reaching students wherever they may be developmentally, as

well as understanding the challenges they may face in their personal lives that can affect learning

are keys to being the great teachers we all hope to be.

 References

Sousa, D. (2001). How the Brain Learns 2nd Edition. Corwin Press.

Von Stultz, J.[HopeForChildren1] (2010, May 23). Adolescent Brain Development Part 1.[Video

File].Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hl-R5vtERj8

Wilson, L. M., & Horch, H. W. (2002). Implications of Brain Research for Teaching Young

Adolescents. Middle School Journal , 57-61.doi:10.1080/00940771.2002.11495345