Factors That Influence Learning
TASK 18 – Outline the factors that influence learning.
Learning is influenced by many factors such as attention, motivation and emotions as well as by learner characteristics like prior knowledge, cognitive and learning styles and intellectual capabilities. The following list shows a number of other factors that may also have a bearing on a pupil’s capability to learn: * Family * Culture * Gender * Impact of peers * Subject content * Teaching style * Learning skills * Recognition of need to learn * Past experiences of learning * Personal learning styles * Range of opportunities * Awareness of the learning process * Barriers to learning * Rewards and punishments
All these factors have an impact on the quality and quantity of learning for the pupil. For example: * Where cultural background encourages the experience of different learning opportunities then the pupil will have more opportunities of developing effective learning skills. * Not all pupils acknowledge the value of learning. If a pupil has low-level skills, they may deny the importance of learning as a defence mechanism to prevent exposing themselves or the reason might be a lack of family or peer support for learning. * Some pupils might be very much influenced by their peers, either having their own learning experiences enhanced or discouraged by peers. * If a pupil encounters a teaching approach that does not match their own learning style, they may be put at a disadvantage. * A productive and effective learning experience will encourage learning skills, which enables that pupil to successfully learn in other contexts. * Facilitators of learning might not provide effective rewards for learning, such as attention and praise. If the young person relies on rewards such as money or gifts for motivation then they will have difficulty learning in a non-reinforcing environment.
Factors that may hinder learning for pupils
Learning is influenced by many factors such as attention, motivation and emotions as well as by learner characteristics like prior knowledge, cognitive and learning styles and intellectual capabilities. The following list shows a number of other factors that may also have a bearing on a pupil’s capability to learn: * Family * Culture * Gender * Impact of peers * Subject content * Teaching style * Learning skills * Recognition of need to learn * Past experiences of learning * Personal learning styles * Range of opportunities * Awareness of the learning process * Barriers to learning * Rewards and punishments
All these factors have an impact on the quality and quantity of learning for the pupil. For example: * Where cultural background encourages the experience of different learning opportunities then the pupil will have more opportunities of developing effective learning skills. * Not all pupils acknowledge the value of learning. If a pupil has low-level skills, they may deny the importance of learning as a defence mechanism to prevent exposing themselves or the reason might be a lack of family or peer support for learning. * Some pupils might be very much influenced by their peers, either having their own learning experiences enhanced or discouraged by peers. * If a pupil encounters a teaching approach that does not match their own learning style, they may be put at a disadvantage. * A productive and effective learning experience will encourage learning skills, which enables that pupil to successfully learn in other contexts. * Facilitators of learning might not provide effective rewards for learning, such as attention and praise. If the young person relies on rewards such as money or gifts for motivation then they will have difficulty learning in a non-reinforcing environment.
Factors that may hinder learning for pupils