Learning Theory And Its Importance

Within the elementary classroom, there is a copious amount of rules, guidelines and considerations a teacher must take into account. Learning theories such as social, cognitive, and behavioral learning should be implemented to provide framework and boundaries for the children. When incorporating learning theories in the classroom, it is important to have a clear understanding of how they work and how they will benefit the child and the teacher. These particular theories allows the teacher to run an efficient and effective classroom from day one.

Learning, as defined by Slavin (2012), is “a change in an individual caused by experience” (p. 116). Learning can occur intentionally or unintentionally. All learning, however, is stimulated by something that is the learner (student) has encountered. As an instructor, your goal every day is to use the right stimuli to capture the student’s attention so they can absorb the knowledge you are trying to share.

Behaviorism is one of the most used theories in education. Due to it can fit in both a classroom setting and at home. Educators had sought out the reason why for many years. But due to each child learns a different way so should the educator. Behaviorism was study by many great Psychologists over the years. Just to name some that had done work and publish books on the subject are, John Watson, Ivan Pavlov, Clark Hull, and B.F. Skinner.

Students have their own best way in effectively learning the lesson. With the diversity of students, the problem is each student has a preferred learning style. It becomes undeniably one of the reasons that make it difficult to achieve the best expected outcome out of teachers’ effort. However, teachers try to incorporate various teaching techniques to make every learning opportunity become productive, meaningful, and relevant for the learners.

Many educators operate their classrooms using a “learning theory” that they feel optimizes the best learning environment for their students. As an educator it is very important to create your own customized learning theory to use in your classroom. A customized learning theory is developed to create an optimum learning environment for students. Educators have to research and put into practice the ideas that they feel may work best in their classroom. In this paper, I will be discussing my own customized learning theory incorporating theoretical perspectives that I believe make an ideal learning environment.

Effective teachers are aware of different learning theories that influence classroom practice on a daily basis. According to Pritchard (2014), teachers must have an understanding

I may often guide my students as they approach problems, encourage them to work in groups to think about questions and issues, and support them with advice as they tackle adventures, problems, and challenges that are embedded in real life situations that are both satisfying to my students and interesting in terms of the result of their work. I believe that learning is promoted and supported through collaboration among learners and teachers. As a result, learning become easy to occur in the lesson when we incorporate these approaches. I strongly believe that it is in interaction with others that children learn how to think. It is important to give students the opportunity to become responsible for their own learning, and this will allow students to be more likely to be self-motivated and develop self- efficacy. As students interact with their environment, they connect information learned through experience to prior knowledge, and so build new knowledge and understandings. As an educator, I recognise the value of the experience and knowledge that learners bring to the classroom context. It is my responsibility and role to provide experience that assist learners to further their existing knowledge of the world (Duchesne et al,

The greatest struggle in our educational system is the lack of educators that are willing to activate the students’ interest in the subject. Instead of increasing the students’ motivation to learn, students are being presented with material that is meaningless to them. I believe that effective teaching starts by presenting students with material that seems relevant to them. Presenting fresh ideas to students increases their motivation. Breaking the monotone routine makes students willing to explore new content. It is the teacher’s responsibility to provide students with some motivation that augments the students’ willingness to learn a topic. Learning is a step by step process that will not occur over night. This process requires great effort from both the teacher and the

As shown in Figure 1, a classroom that incorporates adequate space for students to move around freely allows students to utilize their mobility in order to participate in different activities around the room. Adding on, designating several stations and areas to accommodate students and their needs such as the reading section in the bottom center of the room, the computer stations on the right side, or the sensory/therapy stations in the bottom left corner allows students to be able to remain present in their classroom so as to not be isolated from their

A methodology of ‘Educational Theory’ is relevant to educational pursuits, with the purpose of the education knowledge and learning process (Hirst, 2012). Nurses play an important role in patient education, as well as to educate the younger generation of nurses to have a better quality practice in the clinical settings (Butterworth and Faugier, 2013). ‘Mentorship’ is an integral role for all the healthcare professions, whereby it provides the opportunities in generating to those gained from practicing patient care delivery and management (Kinnell and Hughes, 2010). It is also an approach that brings a change in a person's learning process, whereby an educator who will assist and support the progress of having an effective self-care management. Thus, learning is one of the most important activities, which the individual’s able to understand and influence the nature of learning through teaching with similar endeavours (Shuell, 2013).

Learning is a multifaceted perception unique to each individual. In looking to address the intricacies of learning, there have been a multitude of learning theories established over the centuries. To this day new theories are developed and traditional theories continue to be developed and expanded upon. (Swinburne Online, 2016)

A student has the ability to learn without a teacher. However, the Law of the Teaching Process creates the background for a teacher to guide a student on the path to more knowledge. A teacher should establish a safe environment that encourages thinking to help students learn “the unknown by the way of the known” (84). Acquiring their knowledge and increasing their mental power correlates to the aims of a teacher as they guide students. While a teacher is to be passionate in laying out knowledge, the really work of an education, acquiring knowledge, is the work of the student. A student learns by discovery and information stores as the student interprets the new information.

Education has long been the center of reform with new ideas about learning and teaching. Educators are regularly introduced to new teaching strategies, curricula and rigorous standards in an effort to provide effective instruction to students. However, the pursuit of proficiency in mathematics and reading through the use of research-based methods requires an understanding of the learning models and theories that both drive instruction and learning in the classroom. In this paper I will address the evolution of ideas about learning and teaching in education as well as address the shifts in learning in the 21st century.

This essay will compare and contrast three key theories of learning; Behaviourism, Cognitive Learning Theory and Constructivism.

Learning is best for students whenever their teacher applies emotion, gives them the requisite support and challenges them. It is through such process that students gain in-depth learning and thus discover their values, abilities, passions as well as responsibilities in learning situations that provide adventure. In most school lessons, students undertake tasks that require them to use their creativity, self-discipline and craftsmanship. It is thus the work of the teacher to assist the students discover their hidden abilities and overcome their fears in applying their knowledge to classroom and job problems through in-depth teaching practice.