Pål Kvello

Pål Kvello is an Associate Professor at the Department of Teacher Education, Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He leads the Neurodidactics research group focused on neuroscience education and understanding how students conceptualize the nervous system.

His educational background includes a master's and doctorate in biology from NTNU, where he studied insect nervous systems under Dr. Hanna Mustaparta. He completed post-doctoral work at UC Berkeley with Dr. Kristin Scott studying fruit fly taste neurons, and later at the Kavli Institute for Neuroscience with Dr. Menno Witter learning electrophysiology techniques to study neural networks in rodents.

Kvello's research interests center on neurodidactics - the application of neuroscience knowledge to educational contexts. His work investigates how students understand fundamental aspects of the nervous system, identifying essential knowledge for secondary science education. He has developed educational tools to help students build accurate mental models of neural networks and brain function. Earlier in his career, he conducted significant research on insect neurobiology, particularly taste processing in moths and fruit flies.

His publication record shows a clear transition from basic neuroscience research on insect sensory systems to educational neuroscience. Recent publications focus on mapping student conceptions of the nervous system, identifying essential knowledge for teaching, and comparing instructional methods in science education. His earlier work includes detailed neural mapping studies of olfactory and gustatory pathways in moths.

As leader of the Neurodidactics group, Kvello develops educational approaches that bridge neuroscience research and classroom practice. His work has practical implications for improving how the nervous system is taught in schools, helping students overcome common misconceptions and develop more accurate scientific understanding.