Theories of Learning

Running head : THEORIES OF LEARNING

Theories of Learning

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Theories of Learning

Piaget`s Cognitive Theory of Learning

Piaget`s cognitive theory of learning has remained popular among educators and has greatly influenced curriculum development . This is for the reason that traditional schooling gives utmost importance to the development of the learner 's cognitive faculties . This theory was the culmination of his systemic longitudinal research on children (some of whom were his own . Piaget`s theory describes what may be expected of children at different stages of intellectual development

p According to Piaget , all persons go through a sequence of four distinct stages of intellectual development from birth to maturity . Although every normal child passes through those stages , the ages at which some children attain each stage may vary . The four stages are (1 ) the sensorimotor stage (2 ) the preoperational stage (3 ) concrete operations stage , and (4 ) the formal operations stage (Piaget , 1977 Each stage is characterized by the ability to perform particular major cognitive tasks

Piaget`s approach to learning is a readiness approach . Readiness approaches in developmental psychology emphasize that children cannot learn something until maturation gives them certain prerequisites . The ability to learn any cognitive content is always related to their state of intellectual development and ways of thinking as a result of this integration

The cognitive theories of learning allege that individuals differ in their intellectual abilities because of the developmental stage they are in and their interaction with the environment . These theories further assert that cognitive growth and development are characterized by steady progression (i .e , from the simplest to the most complex

Piaget`s theory of cognitive development has guided the sequencing of learning content (knowledge , skills , processes ) from the concrete to the abstract , and the selection of evaluation tools . It has also facilitated the realistic setting of educational objectives and intended learning outcomes

Skinner`s Behavioral Theory of Learning

Skinner (1953 ) developed the method of conditioning through what has been termed operant or instrumental conditioning . Operant conditioning involves voluntary behavior emitted by the learner which may be reinforced by its consequence . In operant conditioning , whether a response occurs in the future depends upon the nature of the contingency . If a response makes life better for the individual , it will likely occur in the future . If it makes life worse , it will likely not occur again in the future . Thus , operant conditioning makes use of reinforcements

Anything that increases the likelihood that a behavior will be repeated is referred to by the behaviorists as reinforcement . It is very important to note that the definition says nothing about whether the student likes ' or dislikes ' the reinforcement whether it is deliberately given or not , or whether the behavior in question is the one desired . In operant conditioning , when a student responds with a behavior that is close to what is expected by the teacher , the latter delivers a positive reinforcer . Positive reinforcers motivate the learner to repeat the behavior with increased frequency , duration , and intensity . A reinforcer can be anything that...