Development of Cognitive Abilities of Primary School Students by Means of the English Language in Terms of a Neuro-Pedagogical Approach

Aim. To describe results of a study on effectiveness of a neuro-pedagogical approach in developing cognitive abilities (analysis, synthesis, associative thinking) in 2nd grade students in the process of learning a foreign (English) language based on kinesiological supports.

Methodology. The methodological base of the study is formed by the fundamentals of the neuro-pedagogical approach, its principles and methods, which are based on the latest achievements of neuroscience on the work of the brain and its plasticity, include a theoretical analysis of works on neuropsychology (L. S. Vygotsky, A. R. Luria and others on the internal mechanisms of development; J. Bruner’s theory on the stages of development of thinking), pedagogy (N. A. Gorlova and others), research into the processes of attention, memory, thinking, perception and their development in children of primary school age. The methods of analysing school documentation, curricula, teaching materials, observing the educational process in order to identify changes in the cognitive abilities of students were used, interviews with teachers and experts in neuropedagogy to identify approaches and methods were conducted, etc. A pedagogical experiment with ascertaining, formative and control stages, diagnostics using adapted methods (“Absurdities” by E. M. Torshilova, “The Fourth is Extra” adapted by L. A. Venger) was included, quantitative and qualitative data analysis was applied.

Results. The results of a study evaluating the effectiveness of a neuro-pedagogical approach to developing cognitive abilities (analysis, synthesis, and associative thinking) in second-grade students (aged 7–8) while learning a foreign language (English) were described. A neuro-pedagogical approach aimed at developing cognitive processes (analysis, synthesis, and associative thinking) in second-grade students while learning English was developed and implemented. Methods for assessing the level of development of children’s cognitive abilities before and after using the neuro-pedagogical approach were created and tested. An experimental testing of the neuro-pedagogical method was conducted on a sample of second-grade students to determine the impact of this approach on the development of cognitive skills. The study examined the influence of the neuro-pedagogical approach on the development of analytical, synthetic, and associative thinking in primary school students. A comparison of the effectiveness of the neuro-pedagogical approach with traditional methods of teaching English in elementary school was conducted. Practical recommendations for the implementation of neuro-pedagogical technologies in the educational process of foreign language learning in elementary grades have been developed.

Research implications. The theoretical significance of this study lies in the proposal of a neuro-pedagogical approach to developing the cognitive abilities (analysis, synthesis, and associative thinking) of second-grade students while learning a foreign language (English) and the substantiation of its effectiveness. The concept of “kinesiological supports” is described as a system of motor and rhythmic techniques that activate interhemispheric interaction and enhance the effectiveness of cognitive acti-
vity in the classroom. A relationship between motor activity and the successful development of mental processes in learning a foreign language (English) is demonstrated. The practical significance lies in the fact that the proposed set of didactic games with kinesiological supports can be directly integrated into English language curricula for second-grade students. The study materials can be used by foreign language teachers to improve the effectiveness of lessons, overcome students’ cognitive difficulties, and develop teaching aids and developmental activities as part of extracurricular activities.

Conclusions. Experimental studies have confirmed that systematically incorporating kinesiological supports (motor and rhythmic techniques) into the structure of English lessons promotes interhemispheric interaction and improves cognitive performance in primary school students. The findings can serve as a basis for further research in neuro-pedagogy and early foreign language education methods.

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