Learning Theories in Teacher Education

Learning Theories and Teacher Education

• Learning strategies have dramatically changed due to the development of various learning theories (behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, neuro-education).
• The constructivist approach is considered the best for 21st-century classrooms, but the behavioral and cognitive approaches are also important.
• Teacher training needs to incorporate all learning approaches, as strengths from each can be beneficial.
• Teacher education must prepare teachers to meet the diverse needs of students, including being educators, motivators, counselors, and coaches.
• Teachers need strategies to help students reach their full potential and master classroom content.

Behaviorism

• Learning is a mechanical process of stimulus-response association, strengthening new behaviors through reinforcement.
• Learners are considered passive recipients of stimuli.
• Positive and negative reinforcement increases behavioral repetition; punishment decreases it.
• Learning is defined as a shift in observable behavior.
• Behavioral theory focuses on observable actions, disregarding internal mental processes.

Strengths of Behaviorism

• Useful for creating behavioral contracts in schools and homes.
• Effective in behavior modification through reinforcement, punishment, and extinction.
• Predictable behavior responses can be learned.
• Measurable success outcomes.
• Effective for specific, well-defined tasks.

Weaknesses of Behaviorism

• Oversimplification of human behavior based on animal models.
• Ignores the development of human language.
• Fails to account for environmental influences on behavior.

Applications of Behaviorism

• Teachers use reinforcement and punishment to encourage desired classroom behaviors.

Implications of Behaviourism

• Explicit learning goals should be communicated.
• Learners should receive feedback on their progress.

Cognitivism

• Learning involves active mental processes like information processing.
• The mind functions like a computer, receiving, processing, and storing information.
• Learners actively participate in their learning; prior knowledge and schemas are critical factors.
• Learning is organized, structured, and sequentially presented to improve understanding..

Strengths of Cognitivism

• Information is organized into short and long term memory.
• Information processing is manageable through smaller, processed components.

Weaknesses of Cognitivism

• Difficulty adapting to new information.
• Complex concepts may be excessively fragmented

Application of Cognitivism

• Used for problem-solving, where concepts can be divided into smaller parts; it links with prior knowledge.

Implications of Cognitivism

• Learners should be shown the purpose of the lesson, and attention should be focused on critical information.

Constructivism

• Learners actively construct knowledge through experiences and interactions.
• Prior knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs shape how new information is understood.
• Learners are active participants in the learning process; teachers provide an appropriate environment for learning.

Two key Branches of Constructivism

• Social constructivism: Learning occurs through social interaction and collaboration, with the teacher facilitating learning. The ZPD (zone of proximal development) is defined as the upper limit of a learner's current ability to learn, with help from a teacher.
• Cognitive constructivism: Learning occurs through assimilation (new information fits existing schemas) and accommodation (new information changes existing schemas) of new knowledge.

Strengths of Constructivism

• Relevant and meaningful to the learner’s own experiences.
• Learner's knowledge and meaning is constructed through interaction with the content.

Weaknesses of Constructivism

• Individual experiences and attitudes may differ.
• Predicting outcomes can be challenging.

Application of Constructivism

• Effective in problem-based learning.
• Learners comprehend topic relevance, importance, and understanding.

Implications of Constructivism

• Learning should be active and hands-on, using real-world scenarios.
• Learners should construct meaning on their own from information.

Knowledge Development

• Learner, content, environment are crucial variables for learning.
• Prior knowledge is necessary for constructing new knowledge.
• New concepts, terms, and utility are essential for practical application.

Implications for Teacher Education

• Teachers need to understand all learning theories to apply the suitable approach.
• Instruction must accommodate the variety of learning styles and learner needs.
• Multiple learning strategies may be applied depending on the content, and learning situation.

Conclusion

• Teacher training should involve all developed learning theories.
• Teachers must adapt their approaches based on the situation and learner needs.