What are learning theories?
Learning theories are conceptual frameworks describing how knowledge is absorbed, processed, and retained during learning. Cognitive, emotional, and environmental influences, as well as prior experience, all play a part in how understanding, or a world view, is acquired or changed and knowledge and skills retained. Although there are many different approaches to learning, there are four basic types of learning theory: behaviorism, cognitive constructivist, social and cultural constructivist, and constructivism.
Theories
There are four dominant theories used in educational psychology. They are: behaviorism, social and cultural, cognitive, and constructivism. These theories are displayed in multiple ways in the classroom and help teachers to teach their students.
Behaviorism is a learning theory entered around objective observable behavior. It discounts any independent activities of the
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I believe that constructivism learning best supports teaching and learning for my discipline. This is because this learning theory is centered around students being able to learn in an environment where they can apply or be exposed to real life skills in the cognitive sense. Constructivist teachers encourage their students to constantly assess how the activity is helping them gain a better understanding of what they are doing. I believe that having students question themselves and their strategies they would become expert learners. When this is done they will then have gained tools to help broaden their learning.
I would have students reflect on their experiences. When they do this, they would find that their ideas gained or increased in complexity and power, and they would develop increasingly strong abilities to integrate new information. With using this theory in the classroom, I would be tapping into and triggering student’s innate curiosity about the world and how things
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.
In this essay I will look at the different definitions of learning theories and learning
Constructivist Learning Theory exists under the focus of cognitive learning and has substructures of the concepts of self- efficacy, self- regulation, and metacognition as it defines how adults learn (Billings & Halstead, 2012, p. 211). Billings & Halstead (2012) explains that learning is considered a transformation in a person from personal experience. It is a continued process that encompasses understanding, clarifying, and applying meanings of knowledge that is developed. The learning theory, constructivism embraces that learning is a development. A learner constructs new knowledge by building on existing information through a process
In Psychology learning is seen as a change in behaviour caused by an experience. Behaviorism, is seen as a learning theory; an attempt to explain how people or animals learn by studying their behaviour. The Behaviourists Approach has two theories to help explain how we learn, Classical conditioning and operant conditioning. In this task I will attempt to describe and evaluate this approach.
Within this perspective, there are three theories that describe different ways in which learning occurs; classical conditioning theory, operant conditioning theory, and cognitive social learning theory (Hutchinson, 2015).
Behaviorism is one of seven schools of thought. Behaviorists focus on observable actions rather than the internal aspects of individuals, such as thoughts and emotions. Ultimately, behavior is a response to the surrounding environmental stimuli. Behaviorists have established many basic principles that are still critical to understanding human behavior today.
It is important to make aware there are many different theories regarding the understanding of how individuals learn and develop. As we start to identify we begin to comprehend and realise that everyone does not learn the same way as the next person. The learning theories that are to be taken into account are as follows: Behaviourism, Cognitivists, Humanists, Social Learning, Adult Learning and Motivation.
Explain, using appropriate classroom examples, how you would apply your understanding of the theory outlined, in implementing four (4) central task of teaching in your classroom.
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
The benefits of constructivism for teachers and learners, in an ideal setting include focusing on students allowing students the time and opportunity to investigate big ideas, and along the way helping them to understand concepts and skills, rather than just memorizing and regurgitating facts or ideas. Constructivism engages students’ natural curiosities to help them find answers to the questions inherent in their minds (Constructivism). Intrinsic motivation would be expected to be high when students are provided the freedom to choose their course of learning and given the time to investigate until questions are answered.
According to Eggen and Kauchak (2012) behaviorism is a theory that explains learning in terms of observable behaviors and how they’re influenced by stimuli from the environment. It defines learning as a relatively enduring change in observable behavior that occurs as a result of experience (Schunk,
One of the more popular areas of psychology is Educational Psychology. Educational Psychology can be explained several ways. The idea is to study theories and concepts from different parts of psychology and apply them in educational settings. These educational settings may occur in different school settings such as preschool. The goal of educational psychology is to create a positive student-teacher relationship. Educational psychology uses five different types of psychology, behavioral, cognitive, developmental, and social cognitive, and constructivist in this research paper I will be briefly discussing each type of psychology listed above.
This essay will compare and contrast three key theories of learning; Behaviourism, Cognitive Learning Theory and Constructivism.
The purpose of a constructivist education, therefore, is to facilitate the process for learners in constructing their understanding. Constructivist learning “fosters critical thinking and creates active and motivated learners,” according to McClurg (2009). The educational emphasis is not on delivering knowledge nor organizing that knowledge in a prescriptive system, but rather on teaching students how to build their own understanding within meaningful contexts for lasting effect (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012).