Discuss how children learn with a focus on one area from a selection of current priorities drawing on relevant literature, research and practice from a critical perspective
This essay will discuss two theoretical frameworks of learning, Behaviourism and Constructivism. Then examine the orginin, need and importance for ability grouping specifically to aid the gifted student. It will then analyse evidence of a child from block School Experience (BSE) 1 and relate theory to practice.
Learning can sometimes appear to be a very simple thing, understanding how we learn is not as straightforward as it may seem. Numerous definitions and theories of learning indicate the complexity of the process.
David Fontana (1985) considered learning as a relatively persistent change in an individual’s behaviour due to experience, associating the outcome of learning as the behaviour. In contrast Norah Morgan and Juliana Saxton (1991) argue “effective teaching depends upon recognizing that effective learning takes place when the students are active participants in ‘what’s going on’” demonstrating a more constructivist approach to learning where more attention is paid to what is going on inside the child’s head and the mental processes taking place.
Behaviourism ignored the need to consider internal mental states or consciousness, describing all behaviour as being caused by external stimuli. The works of behaviourists Ian Pavlov (1849-1936) and Burrhus Frederic Skinner (1904-1990) explored
Behaviourists focus on the influence of the environment, they chose not to be concerned with the internal mechanisms that occur inside the organism, they believe that your behaviour depends on what factors are present in the environment at any given time. Another big contributor to this approach is Ivan Pavlov who was made famous for conditioning in which he used dogs in an experiment.
Behaviourists regard behaviour as a response to a stimulus; pioneering the belief that internal cognitive processes are unnecessary when explaining behaviour. This view is supported by the behaviourist John Locke who proposed that children are born as ‘blank slates’ (‘tabula rasa’) whereby children are shaped by experience (Neaum, 2010). The behaviourist approach assumes that the process of learning is the same in all species; therefore concluding that human and animals learn in similar ways. Early behaviourists include Edward Thorndike, Edward Tolman and Edwin Guthrie conducted experiments on animals, under carefully observed conditions (Collin, 2011). However the three theorists, most associated with behaviourism are: Ivan Pavlov, John Watson and B.F. Skinner. These theorists identified two types of associative learning: classical and operant conditioning; these methods underpin the behaviourist perspective.
Know the background and interest of individual children and draw on these when supporting their learning
Learning Theory:
This essay will aim to describe and evaluate the behaviourist approach while referring to other perspectives and the key debates within psychology. Behaviourism believes that human behaviour can be explained in terms of conditioning, without the need to consider thoughts or feelings (Cardwell & Flanagan, 2015).
Three main theories of education exist: behavioral, constructivist, and cognitive. I find myself ideologically aligned most closely with the constructivist approach, yet for reasons to be explored later in this document, find the theory one that can only offer guidance for my actions as a teacher a portion of the time I am working with students. Constructivism means students don’t just absorb information and understand
Many ideas were shared between Watson, Tolman, and Skinner who all played a role in the forming of behaviorism. They did, however, differ on some of their beliefs as well as their methods of study. At this time, methods of studying psychology as well as psychology in general were in the developing stages. Watson was largely credited with the foundation of behaviorism, however, he was by no means the only one to make contributions. There has been some debate as to whether Watson’s contributions were enough to make him the “founder of behaviorism.” It is important to examine contributions from several of the early
Behavioural Psychology originated in the late 19th to early 20th century and was concerned with the prediction and control of the observable, measurable, external aspects of human experience. Behaviourist psychologists rejected the introspective method used by previous philosophers and psychologists and instead relied on using observation and data that was objective and empirical. This is known as an anti-mentalist approach; Behaviourists considered the workings of the mind
This paper will draw on information to explore the definitions and features of the learning theories constructivism and behaviourism. Whilst exploring the solid benefits for learning and the learner and then moving onto the challenges and restrictions of both theories will be considered. Examining the distinctive aspects of the theories, this paper will conclude whether one theory or the blend of both theories is best when addressing the intricacies of an individual’s education.
John B. Watson left academic psychology in the early 20th century creating the place for other behaviorists (McLeod, 2015). These behaviorists started influencing the world of psychology by coming up with forms of learning in addition to classical conditioning. One of the most important behaviorists of that time was Burrhus Fredric Skinner commonly referred to as B. F. Skinner. Contrastingly to Watson’s views, Skinner's aspects seemed less extreme. One of the most important opinions of Skinner was the believing in the existence of mind. Even with the existence of mind, there is still need to learn the observable human behavior in addition to internal mental events.
In the last fifty (50) years there has been significant contributions in the field of education in regards to how children learn, and the models in which learning theories have been developed and utilized within the classroom setting. Additionally, in as recent as the last twenty years the most notable of shifts has been that of students as “sponges” where teachers lectured and students listened, and took notes; to that of learning as a process of active engagement (Cuban 1993). The former paradigm being rooted in and is the basis of behaviorist-learning theories. Essentially, training the individual or student to respond to conditioned stimuli. This method proved to be an antiquated
This essay will compare and contrast three key theories of learning; Behaviourism, Cognitive Learning Theory and Constructivism.
The very first thing one must know about the constructivist theory of learning is the premise that learners arrive at learning situations with prior knowledge and proceed to take and active part in building new knowledge upon that prior knowledge as they experience new things and reflect on those collected experiences (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012). This theory directly contradicts the behaviorist learning theory in which learners are believed to arrive at learning situations with “clean slates” of understanding. From a behaviorist’s perspective, people learn because as they respond to negative and positive stimuli in their environment (Learning Theories Knowledgebase, 2012). While that may change observable behavior
Constructivism is connected to the theories of Piaget and Vygotsky. Piaget believed that cognitive development occurred in four stages that have distinct developmental characteristics. He theorised that all information is organised into ‘schemas’, and this refers to the manner in which a child organisesand stores information and knowledge received. As new information is received, it is either incorporated into existing schemas (assimilation) or new schemas (accommodation) are created (McDevitt & Ormrod, 2010). Vygotsky’s theories compliment those of Piaget and place a greater importance on social interaction as he considered cognitive development predominately was achievedthrough social interaction. Vygotsky believed that learning could be accelerated with the assistance of a more advanced peer or teacher. This concept is referred to as the zone of proximal development (ZPD) and works in conjunction with the theory of ‘scaffolding’, where a teacher provides support to student and as proficiency increases the scaffolding is decreased (Marsh, 2008). Evidence of scaffolding is seen throughout the Maths video as Ms Poole provides an outline of the lesson and the goals to allow students to establish a focus.
A significant piece of several psychological theories in the late nineteenth century was introspection, which is “the examination or observation of one's own mental and emotional processes” (Press, 2013). In retort to this theory behaviorism came about. Behaviorism is predominantly concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behavior. In other words behaviorism does not look at the biological aspects but it suggests that all behaviors are learned habits and changes in response to the environment. It endeavors to explain how these particular habits are formed. Behaviorism claimed that the causes of behavior was not necessarily found in the complexities of the mind but could be observed in one’s immediate environment, from stimuli that produced, reinforced, and punished certain responses also known later on as conditioning. It wasn’t until the twentieth century that the scientist began to discover the actual systems to learning, thereby laying a foundation for behaviorism. A theorist by the name of Ivan Pavlov was a major contribution to the discovering of significant behavioral theories.