1. FD SUPPORTING TEACHING AND LEARNING
PRINCIPLES OF TEACHING, LEARNING AND ASSESSMENT
LEARNING THEORISTS

2. BRUNER American psychologist 1915 –
20TH Century theorist – 50-60s but still writing
Brunner built on the work of Vygotski and suggested a cultural context to teaching and learning
He advocated 3 main developments

3. Theory of development
0-1 – Enactive – this stage is action based – learning through action to gain knowledge and information. This can occur in adults e.g. action based learning – learning to type, drive.
1-6 – Iconic – use of visual images to gain knowledge e.g. use of diagrams, pictures when learning
7+ - Symbolic – knowledge stored as language and other symbols

4. Comparison Opposed Piaget’s readiness theory
Says schools waste time trying to match development to correct level to learn
Learning development should be smooth not based on age

5. Task Identify what has followed these views in education.
Any other developments which may follow this theory?

6. BRUNER
1 Spiralling
The process of returning to previous learning in the light of new learning to aid understanding and make sense of new experiences
Implies some degree of ‘provisional’ nature of learning

7. BRUNER
1 Spiralling
The spiral curriculum involved teaching the same concepts at different ages but with increasing complexity
This can be seen in the NC – topic are introduced and revisited in later years
The way in which a subject is taught should correspond to their current way of thinking (3 ways depending on age)
Ref: S Bentham – A teaching Assistant guide to child development and Psychology in the classroom

8. BRUNER
2 Role of the home
Brunner takes much more account of the role of the home life of the child
Particularly in relation to a child’s cognitive and linguistic development
Role of mother/parent important in development

9. BRUNER
3 Role of Culture
How culture affects the way in which children went about their learning - particularly
Impact of poverty
Impact of racism
Impact of deprivation

10. BRUNER
Researched social conditions in which child lives to try to understand learning development – what affects it.
Suggests that socio-economic context of education is as important as Piaget ideas – in the understanding of how learning develops