What learning theory best describes your belief about how learning takes place?

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The human brain is always something that has fascinated me. The concepts regarding how people learn, remember, and do different things have always ‘thrown’ me down a rabbit hole in wonders. Although I’m not interested in being a psychologist or a neurologist, knowing how individuals learn can positively impact your knowledge, planning, and implementation of lesson planning as an educator.  Before this course, I did not necessarily think about how students learn – other than through hearing, visual, and kinesthetic ways. However, when we break down the word ‘learning’ and begin to assess different learning theories, the idea of how students learn begins to make sense.

Brown et al. (2014) state that “learning means acquiring knowledge and skills and having them readily available from memory so you can make sense of future problems and opportunities.” This definition of learning resonates well with what I emphasize in my classroom. I believe that learning involves acquiring knowledge, life skills, and social/emotional learning that students can use in a variety of ways to be successful moving forward in their lives from the classroom. In my classroom, I implement a wide variety of activities, learning experiences, and teaching practices that align with many of the different learning theories. In general, I actively base my teaching and classroom environment around behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism.

If you are unfamiliar with some of the different learning theories in education, here is a link to a small article about some learning theories. If you prefer a video, here is one below!

Behaviourism is an approach to teaching and learning that a variety of benefits to the learning environment. This learning theory focuses on students’ behaviours that can be seen by others. In the classroom, a behaviouralist approach can be observed through reward systems, incentives, routine formation, and positive/negative reinforcements regarding behaviours. Although this approach is often viewed as ‘old school’, using this approach today has its benefits and challenges. In my classroom, I utilize characteristics of a behaviouralist approach to teaching when I try and set up routines and expectations in the classroom. It teaches students what their expectations are and what the structure of the classroom is. There is immediate positive reinforcement for doing their job well and consequences if they are not following the expectations of the learning environment. This is essential for the foundation of a functioning classroom from which you can then build on different learning theories and successful activities – such as cognitivism and constructivism. If you do not create a classroom environment that works together, is respectful, and knows what is expected from everyone, then teaching, learning, and planning becomes a nightmare.

Within learning, many aspects of teaching activities are surrounded by the structure of cognitivism – especially in Middle School. The cognitivism learning theory focuses on how individuals think, understand, and remember. A cognitivist approach in teaching includes note-taking, problem-solving, brainstorming, and introducing a new concept. I have recently used a cognitivist approach to learning through our Cell Unit in Biology. Although there are so many constructivist activities that enhance student learning and understanding, such as labs, students need to have an opportunity to be introduced to and understand the new concepts to be able to benefit from labs. This is because if students do not know the differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, the lab (constructivist activity) would not be as beneficial as it could be. Students need foundational knowledge of concepts to be able to grow their understanding through different, more free activities – such as constructivist activities.

Although labs are just an example of constructivist activities, I do implement different constructivist approaches for my students’ learning. As a whole, the constructivist theory of learning acknowledges that individuals construct their understanding and knowledge through experiences. These include labs, field trips, project-based learning, and inquiry assignments. These are a foundation in my classroom, but a classroom environment (established through behaviouralist) and foundational knowledge (established through cognitivism) are needed for students to reach their full learning potential in constructivist learning activities.

Although there are further ways in which I could analyze which learning theories are in my students’ learning, behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism are the primary three learning theories that compose my teaching style.

References

Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L., & McDaniel, M. A. (2014). Make it stick: The science of successful learning. Harvard University Press. https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674729018