The Relationship Between Functional Differentiation of Dopamine and Acetylcholine with Selective Attention Gap in Biology Learning

Biology education consistently faces the challenge of students' selective attention across diverse topics, from descriptive botany to complex physiological processes. Cognitive neuroscience has revealed the distinct roles of dopamine and acetylcholine in regulating attention, motivation, and learning. This review-analytical study aims to investigate the relationship between the functional differentiation of these two neurotransmitter systems and the selective attention gap in biology learning. The research method involved a systematic review of ۳۰ relevant sources from ۲۰۰۰ to ۲۰۲۶, analyzed through directed content analysis based on cognitive load theory and educational neuroscience frameworks. The findings indicate that low-cognitive-load topics (such as plant systematics) require dopaminergic stimulation through reward and competition, while high-cognitive-load topics (such as neurophysiology and genetics) demand cholinergic optimization through curiosity enhancement and distraction reduction. The Content-Dependent Arousal Modulation Model is proposed as a theoretical framework for aligning teaching strategies with the neurocognitive profile of each topic. The results suggest that teachers should dynamically adjust their instructional approaches based on the cognitive demands of the content, and curriculum designers should consider these neurocognitive principles in textbook development. This model provides a practical guide for enhancing student engagement and learning outcomes in biology education.

کلیدواژه ها:

Dopamine ، Acetylcholine ، Selective Attention ، Biology Education ، Educational Neuroscience ، Cognitive Load