Psychology-for-language-teachers-learning-theories

learning•Inpsychologyandeducation,learningiscommonlydefinedasaprocessthatbringstogethercognitive,emotional,andenvironmentalinfluencesandexperiencesforacquiring,enhancing,ormakingchangesinone'sknowledge,skills,values,andworldviews(Illeris,2004;Ormrod,1995).•Learningisalsothoughtofasthewayinwhichinformationisabsorbed,processed,andretained.PhilosophicalFrameworks•Therearethreemaincategoriesorphilosophicalframeworksunderwhichlearningtheoriesfall:behaviorism,cognitivism,andconstructivism.•Behaviorismfocusesonlyontheobjectivelyobservableaspectsoflearning.•Cognitivetheorieslookbeyondbehaviortoexplainbrain-basedlearning.•Constructivismviewslearningasaprocessinwhichthelearneractivelyconstructsorbuildsnewideasorconcepts.•MerriamandCaffarella(1991)highlightfourapproachesororientationstolearning:•Behaviorist,•Cognitivist,•Humanist,•andSocial/Situational.Behaviorism•BehaviorismasatheorywasprimarilydevelopedbyB.F.Skinner.Forbehaviorism,learningistheacquisitionofnewbehaviorthroughconditioning.Threebasicassumptionsabouttheprocessoflearning.•Learningismanifestedbyachangeinbehavior.•Theenvironmentshapesbehavior.•theprinciplesofcontiguity(howcloseintimetwoeventsmustbeforabondtobeformed)andreinforcement(anymeansofincreasingthelikelihoodthataneventwillberepeated)arecentraltoexplainingthelearningprocess.Cognitivism•Cognitivetheorieslookbeyondbehaviortoexplainbrain-basedlearning.•Cognitivistsconsiderhowhumanmemoryworkstopromotelearning.Twokeyassumptions•thememorysystemisanactiveorganizedprocessorofinformation•priorknowledgeplaysanimportantroleinlearning.•Behaviorism:Environment•Cognitivism:LearnersHumanism•Humanisticapproachesemphasizetheimportanceoftheinnerworldofthelearnerandplacetheindividual’sthoughts,feelingsandemotionsattheforefrontofallhumandevelopment.Theyarevitallyimportantifwearetounderstandhumanlearninginitstotality.•ErikErikson:atheorybasedonstagesofdevelopmentthroughoutahuman’slife.•AbrahamMaslow:Hierarchyofneeds•CarlRogersConstructivism•ThelearningtheoriesofJeanPiaget,JeromeBruner,LevVygotskyandJohnDeweyserveasthefoundationofconstructivistlearningtheory.Constructivism•Constructivismviewslearningasaprocessinwhichthelearneractivelyconstructsorbuildsnewideasorconceptsbaseduponcurrentandpastknowledgeorexperience.Inotherwords,learninginvolvesconstructingone'sownknowledgefromone'sownexperiences.Socialconstructivism•Constructivistlearning,therefore,isaverypersonalendeavor,wherebyinternalizedconcepts,rules,andgeneralprinciplesmayconsequentlybeappliedinapracticalreal-worldcontext.Thisisalsoknownassocialconstructivism.•Knowledgeisconstructedwhenindividualsengagesociallyintalkandactivityaboutsharedproblemsortasks.•Learningisseenastheprocessbywhichindividualsareintroducedtoacultureby“moreskilledmembers”.•Individualscanchoosewhatnewideastoacceptandhowtoestablishindividualnewviewsoftheworld.•Teacher,students,taskandtheenvironmentallaffectlanguagelearning.•Teacheristheguide,participant,facilitatorandevaluator.•Studentsareactiveconstructorsofknowledge.Theyarelearnerswhoshouldbegivenopportunitiestoconstructtheirownthoughttotheworld.•Thecontextinwhichthelearningtakesplacewillplayanimportantpartinshapingwhathappenswithinit.Thisincludestheemotionalenvironment,forexample,trustandbelonging;thephysicalenvironment;thewholeschoolethos;thewidersocialenvironment;thepoliticalenvironmentandtheculturalsetting.