Towards Improving Educational Decisions by Utilizing Interdisciplinary Research

Recent neurophysiological advances may support the advisability of delaying decisions when possible and practical. An empirical study, based on an educational dilemma, compared the outcome of postponing an educational decision overnight or for a longer period. 340 teachers read a report on an educational dilemma and gave an immediate opinion. About half of the group reviewed their decision after an overnight delay; the rest did so after a month. Participants were not involved with the dilemma between sessions. The cognitive aspects of the question addressed by participants in the immediate and delayed decisions were compared. After a month's delay, more cognitive aspects were utilized than in the decision taken after one day. The immediate decision was least comprehensive. Postponement of educational decisions offers the opportunity to utilize a richer variety of cognitive sources.