What Myths Do Teachers in Romania Hold About Learning? Prevalence and Predictors Across Levels and Curricular Areas

This study examines the prevalence and distribution of learning-related myths among teachers in Romania, exploring how misconceptions vary across teaching levels and curricular areas. A total of 1.625 teachers participated in an online survey assessing agreement with widely circulated educational myths and evidence-based learning principles. Results reveal that misconceptions remain pervasive, with 89.6% of respondents endorsing the “learning styles” myth and more than half agreeing that multitasking supports efficient learning. Nearly 45% believed that boys and girls possess different cognitive abilities. Conversely, most teachers accurately recognized validated principles such as the importance of socio-emotional well-being and adaptive teaching strategies. Statistical analyses indicated significant differences in misconception rates across teaching levels and subject areas, suggesting that disciplinary culture and initial teacher education shape cognitive-science literacy. Findings highlight the persistence of intuitive but scientifically unsupported beliefs in education and underscore the need to integrate cognitive-science content and myth-debunking approaches into both pre-service and in-service teacher training. The study contributes new empirical evidence to the European context and offers directions for designing professional development programs grounded in contemporary learning research.