Direct or Inquiry Instruction? Finding the Balance to Maximize Motivation and Learning

Teaching theories are as much part of the classroom as the student and the teacher. The effect individual theories have on an environment depends how they are incorporated within the classroom in addition to the influence they have had on the curriculum construction. This essay will briefly look at how motivation theory, cognitive and social cognitive theory along with constructivism have impacted on education and the classroom.

This paper explores published articles that report on results from research conducted on direct-instruction model and lecture-instruction model. The articles, however, vary in their definitions and uses. Lindsey (2014) suggest that Direct-Instruction works, providing rapid gains, gains that persist, gains that increase self-esteem because children have real skills they can be proud of. Lindseys statement, merely hits the surface of Direct-Instruction since it is best for learning specific concepts and/or skills. When delivering direct-instruction the instructor must have sound knowledge and skill that is logically organized and it is ideal that the learners already poses the prerequisite knowledge for this instruction to be most successful. This paper examines Peterson, Schwerdt and Wuppermann (2011) research in relation to three other research articles to suggest that both direct and lecture instruction models should be studied in order to determine different approaches with the two and which works better for the learners. Other articles look at this instruction model differently and, therefore, offer different results.

This paper will briefly describe the targeted instructional setting that is the foundation for the discussion that follows. Then this paper will present the implications of several theories of cognitive development on the curriculum and instructional strategies used within the targeted instructional setting. These include the cognitive development theories of Jean Piaget and Lev Vygotsky, among others. Based on these theories, two recommended adjustments to the curriculum content for the targeted instructional setting will be presented along with a justification for the recommendations. This is followed by a recommendation of two instructional strategies for the targeted instructional setting and a justification for the recommendation.

Psychology of learning for instruction (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Retrieved June 6, 2010 from

Can you elaborate on what your mean by your statement on staying motivated and how that brings excitement to lesson plans and keeping students engaged? Are you referring to staying motivated yourself in reference to bring excitement into the lesson plans? In other word keeping yourself pump up or motivated for the lessons you will be delivering. If so do you believe that your lessons all need to be exciting and entertaining for each student? Or are you referring to internist or extrinsic motivation for engaging students? If so, how do you tap into what motivates your students especially since each individual student will have their own motivational venue.

In Nicholas Carr’s article “Cognitive Load,” he introduces cognitive overload as a reoccurring element in everyday life. He describes working memory as the mind’s temporary information store. Furthermore, he believes that if instead of trying to process and learn everything at once, we instead break it into pieces. Covering only a little at a time and gradually putting the pieces together kind of like a puzzle.

The main division in learning theories is between behavioural theorists and cognitive theorists. Behaviourists claim that people learn by trial and error through associating stimuli with responses whereas cognitive theorists believe people learn through associating memories and ideas as part of a problem-solving process (Jones 2006:411).

How do people learn? Years of research and multiple theories have emerged in order to answer to this age-old question. Three of the leading learning theories that are being utilized today include behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Ertmer and Newby (2013) composed a paper that delved into the details of these theories in order to compare them. They touched lightly on the history of each theory, and then answered a set of questions about each theory with the goal of distinguishing them from one another. In distinguishing the theories, they hoped to make the theories more applicable to the field of instructional design.

Working memory refers to the retention of many items in a short period of time and it is responsible for storing them temporarily. Language comprehension, learning, and reasoning are all involved in working memory. Working memory is important in our everyday lives because without it we would not be able to hold on to the information long enough to do a given task. Problems with working memory could impact how we learn, writing, problem solving, math and even reading would be very difficult. Working memory is divided into three categories: the central executive, the visuo-spatial sketchpad, and the phonological loop. During the past few years there has been research on this subject and questions about it. In 1968 Atkinson and Shiffrin proposed the Muti-store model. This model said that memory was separated into a sensory register, a short-term store, and a long-term store. In 1974 Baddeley and Hitch proposed a model of working memory because they thought that the multi-store model was too simple. Baddeley and Hitch wanted to see if people could use different parts of their working memory at the same time. In 1989 Turner and Engle used the operational span task, which is a widely used measure of working memory capacity to see if people could remember many different items at once. All of these researchers had their own findings about working memory. In the end researchers have explain what working memory is and they have also come up with research and evidence about this

Daniel Willingham is a Professor of Neuroscience Information in Education that focuses on studying the Brain and using information to improve Brain Based Learning. In his videos, he discusses ways that the brain interacts with information to gain awareness, build knowledge, and improve memory. He also discusses how the teaching profession can improve critical elements of the way information is delivered to the brain to improve student learning. Professor Willingham provides a video that reviews the way teachers teach and how it impacts student’s learning when content taught is not given in a delivery that the brain can retain. He provides examples in the video which promotes his ideas that as students learn content areas, they

When using the cognitive approach to learning, it is believed that learning takes place through the processing and interpretation of information, memory processes, judgement and logic (connections between observations, behaviour and expectations). This approach largely revolves around problem solving, self-efficacy (belief in one’s cognitive resources) and reasoning (Kiley, 2011).

Cognitive and behavioral learning theories tend to dominate modern discussions of learning theories. Employed in both educational and clinical settings, both have important contributions to understanding how and why individuals learn. Is one approach statistically better than the other, or do they each have their own place where one approach may be more effective under specific circumstances? Each theory has supporters who claim the efficacy of their theory is superior. Comparison of the theories is necessary to determine if one is significantly better than the other, or even if one theory may be slightly more effective than the other. Determining if one competing theory

Cognitive load theory intersects with human cognitive architecture by addressing working memory as limited to three to seven elements of information when the learning of new information is a requirement (Blissett, Cavalcanti, & Sibbald, 2012). Yet, where there is familiarity of information, both capacity and duration limits of working memory are eliminated (Paas & Ayres, 2014). Cognitive load theory introduces the prominence of cognitive schemas as a strategic approach toward the organizing and storage of knowledge using the concept of chunking multiple elements of information within a single element with a specific purpose (Paas & Ayres, 2014). Cognitive schemas explains a learner’s transition from novice to skilled due to the creation

An educator is always found seeking ways to enhance the learning process. For years we have looked at the learning process in context trying to figure how students can learn easier and offer different theories of learning styles. The discussion of how students perceive information has always been evaluated while trying to understand how information is processed. I have always been curious how our brains function and have read many articles recommending different techniques of learning.

“The debate about instruction largely hinges on how students learn and what degree of structure and support they need to acquire important skills and knowledge.” according to Archer, L.A, & Hughes, C.A. (2011)