Theories and styles of learning Neil Denby

Objectives … To identify the teaching role as exemplified by the Standards To explain the relationship between teaching and learning To represent learning theory To consider and discuss theory and application To illustrate features of lessons

Key questions … What is the job of the teacher? How do children learn? How are both exemplified in the classroom? What should we look for in observations? How should we plan theories into lessons?

Piaget: Cognitive Development Theory Physical maturation leads to sequential development that includes cognitive development Learners thought to learn new concepts by assimilation, taking in and adapting new information to fit existing concepts, and by accommodation, modifying concepts in light of new information

Lev Vygotsky Social constructivism: Talk and social interaction are the key learning tools: ‘What a child can do today in co-operation, tomorrow he will be able to do on his own’ Scaffolding: Extending what learners can do by breaking the learning process down into easy steps Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD): Ensuring that a child works within the ZPD

Bruner The spiral curriculum The curriculum re-visits topics, allowing learners to address increasingly complex components of a topic

Learning … AspectBehaviourismCognitivist constructionism HumanismParticipatory/ Situation Theorists Pavlov, Watson, Tolman, Skinner Piaget, BrunerMaslow, RogersLave, Wertsch, Engestrom View of the learning process Leads to change in behaviour Internal mental process, including insight, information processing, memory, perception … A personal act to fulfil potential Interaction/observation in social contexts Movement from the periphery to the centre of a community of practice Locus of learning Stimuli in external environment Internal cognitive structure Affective and cognitive needs Learning is about the relationship between people and environment View of transfer Common elements across different contexts Over-arching general principles Changes in self- identity as a learner Transfer problematic Purpose in education Produce behavioural change in desired direction Develop capacity and skills to learn more effectively Become self- actualised … autonomous Full participation in communities of practice and engagement with resources Educator’s role Arrange environment to bring about desired response Structuring of content of learning activity Facilitates development of the whole person Works to establish communities of practice in which conversation and participation occur (Adapted from Wegerif, 2002: 9)

Behaviourism Focus on observable changes to behaviour One’s environment shapes behaviour Continuity and reinforcement Stimulus–Response (S–R) ‘Activity’ is important – not passive learning Frequent practise takes place in differing contexts … essential Reinforcement as a motivator (+ve) Clear objectives for pupils

Cognitive constructionism Consider patterns of behaviour … the whole, rather than the sum, of the component parts The act or process of knowing Instruction should be well organised Instruction should be clearly structured The way a task is displayed should make the problem clear to the learner Prior knowledge is important Feedback gives information to learners about their success or failure

Humanism Reject the notion of reductionism, preferring to treat people as a ‘whole’ High-quality personal involvement Self-initiation Pervasive – difference in behaviour, attitude … Learner evaluation … Essence is ‘meaning’ – meaning is involved with whole experience

Participatory situationist Learn from observing other people in a social setting People join communities of practitioners, observe and assimilate the required knowledge When people get together, particular pieces of information take on a relevance and are passed on Teachers work so that people can become participants Relation between knowledge and activity

Group task … Discuss the different learning styles: Which ones were you aware/unaware of? How, as teachers, can you accommodate differing learning theories in your lessons? Undertake an observation that focuses on styles of teaching and learning Report back to group

References … Franklin, S. (2006) ‘VAKing out learning styles: Why the notion of “learning styles” is unhelpful to teachers’, Education 3–13, 34(1): 81–7 Wegerif, R. (2002) Report 2: Literature Review in Thinking Skills, Technology and Learning, A Report for NESTA Futurelab (Milton Keynes: Open University)