The neuroscience of conceptual learning in science and mathematics

•Overcoming prior beliefs is essential in mathematical and scientific learning.•Experts are better at inhibiting prior beliefs than novices.•Increasing inhibitory control is a central feature of cognitive development.•Neural inhibitory control systems are critical in math and science learning.•Improved inhibitory control explains improved science and math learning.

Learning new concepts in mathematics and science often involves inhibiting prior beliefs or direct perceptual information. Recent neuroimaging work suggests that experts simply get better at inhibiting these pre-potent responses rather than replacing prior concepts with the newer concepts. A review of both behavioral and neuroimaging evidence with children suggests that improving inhibitory control is a key factor in learning new scientific and mathematical facts. This finding has implications for how these subjects are taught in the classroom and provides corroborating evidence for practices already in place.