Learner-Centered Psychological Principles

The American Psychological Association (APA) created these principles to guide educational practices and improve learning.

These principles are grouped into four categories: metacognitive and cognitive, affective and motivational, developmental and social, and individual difference factors.

They focus on how learners think about, feel about, and interact with learning.

Understanding these principles helps educators design effective learning experiences for all students.

This principle encourages teachers to help students develop self-awareness and regulate their own learning.

This principle emphasizes the importance of learners' feelings and attitudes towards learning.

This principle recognizes that learners develop differently and interact with each other in unique ways.

This principle acknowledges that every learner is unique and has different strengths, weaknesses, and learning styles.

The process of thinking about your own thinking to improve learning.

A type of learning that helps students become more conscious of their learning process.

Methods used to help students understand their own learning strategies. Examples include think-aloud, journaling, and graphic organisers.

Asking yourself if your learning strategy is working and if you need to change it.

Evaluating the effectiveness of your learning strategies after completing a learning task.

Combining metacognitive instruction with the subject matter to make learning more meaningful and connected.

Informing students about the benefits of metacognitive activities to encourage them to engage actively.

Providing students with extensive and ongoing support to help them develop and sustain metacognitive skills.

A style of learning that focuses on using the brain more effectively, involving thinking, understanding, and processing information.

The mental processes involved in gaining knowledge and understanding through senses, experiences, and thought.

A central idea in Piaget's theory, suggesting that humans organize their experiences into meaningful patterns as they develop.

The tendency of humans to organize their experiences into logical sets of meanings.

The tendency of humans to adjust to their environment by integrating new experiences with existing knowledge.

The process of modifying new information to fit into existing knowledge or schemas. It's like adding to your existing knowledge base.

The process of changing existing knowledge or schemas to accommodate new information that doesn't fit. It's like reorganizing your mental storage.

Knowledge about how your cognitive processes work, what you already know, and what factors impact your learning.

The ability to use your understanding of your learning processes to actively control and manage your learning, like choosing strategies, setting goals, and adapting to new situations.

The knowledge that you have about facts, concepts, and your own skills.

Knowledge about HOW to do things, how to execute skills and strategies.

Knowledge about when to use different strategies and why they are effective.

Your own personal understanding of your abilities, strengths, and weaknesses as a learner.

Knowledge about how to perform a specific task, what skills are needed, and what resources are available.

Knowing how to learn, select appropriate strategies, and adapt them to different situations.

The collection of experiences that helps you build and refine your understanding of your learning processes.

The knowledge you have about memory, how it works, and how to improve your ability to remember things.

The process of monitoring your progress towards a learning goal, making adjustments to your strategies, and evaluating your learning.

Asking yourself questions to reflect on your learning goals, the strategies you are using, and whether they are effective.

The ability to adjust your learning strategy to meet the needs of a particular task or situation.

Actively regulating your learning process, applying strategies, setting goals, and making adjustments to achieve your learning goals.

The stage where infants learn about the world through their senses and actions, like sucking, grasping, and looking.

The understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are out of sight.

The stage where children begin to use symbols, like words and pictures, to represent objects.

The inability to see things from another person's perspective.

The ability to understand that the amount of something stays the same even if its appearance changes.

The stage where children start to think logically about concrete events, applying rules, and considering multiple factors.

The ability to reason from specific observations to general principles.

The stage where adolescents and adults develop the ability to think abstractly and solve hypothetical problems.

The ability to reason from general principles to specific conclusions.

Teaching that takes into account the different stages of cognitive development.

The belief that knowledge is actively constructed by learners through their experiences.

Understanding the processes children use to arrive at answers, not just the answers themselves.

Encouraging children to actively engage with their learning environment and discover for themselves.

Avoiding the urge to accelerate children's development through artificial means.

Learning that is based on learners' unique needs, strengths, and learning styles.

Learner-centered teaching focuses on individual learners, their unique needs, and utilizes the best available knowledge about learning to promote motivation, learning, and achievement for all.

The learner-centered perspective encourages teachers to include students in decisions about their learning, value their individual perspectives, and respect their differences in backgrounds, interests, and abilities.

The 14 Learner-Centered Psychological Principles (LCP) provide a framework for understanding how learners think, feel, and learn. They are divided into four categories: Cognitive & Metacognitive, Motivational & Affective, Developmental & Social, and Individual Differences.

This principle emphasizes that learning effectively involves actively constructing meaning from information and experiences.

This principle highlights the importance of learners developing their own coherent representations of knowledge through effort and support.

This principle emphasizes the importance of connecting new information to previous knowledge to deepen understanding.

This principle focuses on the ability of learners to develop and utilize thinking and reasoning strategies to achieve their learning goals.

This principle describes the ability of learners to reflect on their own thinking and learning processes, set goals, and monitor their progress.

This principle emphasizes the influence of environment, culture, technology, and instructional practices on the learning process.

This principle highlights the impact of internal factors, including thoughts, beliefs, and expectations, on learning and information processing.

This principle emphasizes the power of intrinsic motivation, driven by factors like curiosity, interest, and personal choice, in promoting learning.

This principle underscores the importance of effort and persistence in achieving complex learning goals.

This principle emphasizes the need to consider individual developmental stages in planning and delivering learning experiences.

This principle highlights the benefits of collaborative learning and social interaction in supporting student learning.

This principle acknowledges that individuals possess unique capabilities and talents, and encourages educators to help students explore and develop their learning preferences.

This principle emphasizes that the fundamental principles of learning, motivation, and effective instruction apply to all learners, regardless of their background or abilities.

This principle acknowledges the crucial role of assessment in providing valuable information to both learners and teachers throughout the learning process.

Piaget's theory states that all children progress through the same developmental stages but at different paces. Therefore, educators must tailor activities to individual needs rather than teaching the whole class as a group.

Vygotsky's theory emphasizes the crucial role of social interaction in language development and learning. Children acquire language through interaction with more knowledgeable individuals.

The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is the sweet spot where a learner, with guidance, can achieve a skill they couldn't manage alone. Think of it as the space between 'can do' and 'can't do.'

Before age 3, children primarily use speech to influence others' behaviors. This is pre-verbal, mostly using cries, laughs, etc., and later simple phrases like "Want milk."

Between ages 3 and 7, children begin talking to themselves out loud as a way to guide their own actions. This is called egocentric speech.

As individuals mature, they internalize speech. This means they think to themselves without needing to vocalize, allowing for complex mental calculations and analysis.

The idea that teachers are experts who guide and support student learning within their ZPD. This interaction between the teacher and learner is essential for cognitive development.

Play, particularly pretend play, is incredibly beneficial for cognitive development. It helps children explore ideas, solve problems, and develop social skills.

Language is a two-way communication process. To effectively communicate, we must both express our thoughts and understand the thoughts of others.