Blog Post May 31st 2023
There are three different learning theories talked about in the article. The first learning theory is behaviourism. The second is cognitivism. Lastly, there is constructivism.
Behaviourism focuses on the idea that behaviours are learned. These can be observed and measured. The environment can influence this behaviour. This includes students paying attention to who gets praise and what they did to get that praise. This is related to the product curriculum model. I have seen this in my pre-internship, where at the end of the day, the student who worked the hardest or was a good helper would receive an Oreo cookie on the carpet in front of all the other students. This encourages the other students to want to behave in the expected way so they can get a chance to get the treat. Often the students were reminded that we should be happy for the student who got the treat as everyone will get a turn for a treat when they behave appropriately. I don’t hate this tactic, but I would keep a list of students who have earned a treat to ensure all students get a turn. We are rewarding the good behaviour.
Cognitive is related to how we store and organize information in our minds. Growing this cognition can be done with questions that ask the student to think inwardly. For example, having students reflect on past experiences can help them overcome obstacles by using past knowledge of how things work to solve new problems. To me, this relates to the process model of curriculum. In addition, cognitive is less controlling than behaviourism, giving the student and teacher more freedom. I take this as a teacher who uses the curriculum while also putting their spin on the information and how it is delivered to the students.
Last but certainly not least is the constructivism theory. I consider this theory a praxis model. This is the most flexible theory, as the focus is on the student’s interests. This creates a more diverse learning experience as it is more individualized to the students. The best example I can think of is letting students do a research assignment on a topic the student is interested in. Or this is closer to Montessori teaching methods.
One thought on “Blog Post May 31st 2023”
Hi Ashley!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on these learning theories. I find the topic of them quite fascinating. It was interesting to read your experience with behaviorism during your pre-internship, I have also viewed teachers using concepts that can relate to that learning theory to help with classroom management, but nothing quite as direct. I still see teachers’ preference for the behaviorism approach to learning. Even though I recognize the importance of each of these learning theories and methods, it is also critical to develop curricula and incorporate teaching methods that align with a constructivist approach to account for the mental health and well-being of every student in our classrooms as well as the diverse range of their learning abilities.
I am curious to know, which one of these theories do you relate to the most, meaning how do you think you would learn best? Or which type would you be more likely to use as a teacher in your own classroom?