Neurophenomenology

Focus

Empirical research into subjective experience

Principal Metaphors

  • Knowledge is … scope of possible experiences and meanings
  • Knowing is … meaning (and other higher-order cognitive functions)
  • Learner is … a conscious experiencer
  • Learning is … meaning-making (and other brain-based, systemic changes)
  • Teaching is … prompting reflection of meaning-making

Originated

1990s

Synopsis

Neurophenomenology combines Neuroscience (the study of the brain, from a third-person perspective) with Phenomenology (the study of conscious experience, from a first-person perspective). It figures prominently in many contemporary theories of learning.

Commentary

Issues cited in relation to both Neuroscience and Phenomenology apply to Neurophenomenology.

Authors and/or Prominent Influences

Francisco Varela; Antonio Damasio

Status as a Theory of Learning

Neurophenomenology is perhaps better described in terms of the scientific study of learning than a theory of learning.

Status as a Theory of Teaching

Neurophenomenology is not a theory of teaching.

Status as a Scientific Theory

Neurophenomenology is a relatively recent domain, but it derives from two well-established research fields.

Map Location



Please cite this article as:
Davis, B., & Francis, K. (2020). “Neurophenomenology” in Discourses on Learning in Education. https://learningdiscourses.com.


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