Humanistic Theory of Learning
Humanistic Theories of Learning:
I.
Introduction
Humanism, a paradigm that emerged in the 1960s, focuses on the human freedom, dignity, and potential. A central assumption of humanism is that people act with intentionality and values. Humanism would concentrate upon the development of the child 's self-concept. If the child feels good about him or herself then that is a positive start. Feeling good about oneself would involve an understanding of ones ' strengths and weaknesses, and a belief in one 's ability to improve. Learning is not an end in itself; It is the means to progress towards the pinnacle of selfdevelopment. A child learns because he or she is inwardly driven, and derives his or her reward from the sense of achievement that having learned something affords.
A primary purpose of humanism could be described as the development of self-actualized, autonomous people. In humanism, learning is student centered and personalized, and the educator’s role is that of a facilitator. Affective and cognitive needs are keys, and the goal is to develop self-actualized people in a cooperative, supportive environment.
II.
Humanistic Orientations to Learning
Humanistic theory as applied to learning is largely constructivist and emphasizes cognitive and affective processes. Humanistic theories emphasize people’s capabilities and potentialities as they make choices and seek control over their lives. They do not explain behaviour in terms of reinforcing responses to environmental stimuli. In other words, humanistic theories are in contrast to the behaviourist notion of operant conditioning, which argues that all behaviour is the result of the application of consequences. That is, they differ from the behaviourist view that expects extrinsic rewards to be more effective. Extrinsic rewards are rewards from the outside world, e.g. praise, money, gold stars, etc. Intrinsic rewards are rewards from within oneself, rather like a satisfaction of
I.
Introduction
Humanism, a paradigm that emerged in the 1960s, focuses on the human freedom, dignity, and potential. A central assumption of humanism is that people act with intentionality and values. Humanism would concentrate upon the development of the child 's self-concept. If the child feels good about him or herself then that is a positive start. Feeling good about oneself would involve an understanding of ones ' strengths and weaknesses, and a belief in one 's ability to improve. Learning is not an end in itself; It is the means to progress towards the pinnacle of selfdevelopment. A child learns because he or she is inwardly driven, and derives his or her reward from the sense of achievement that having learned something affords.
A primary purpose of humanism could be described as the development of self-actualized, autonomous people. In humanism, learning is student centered and personalized, and the educator’s role is that of a facilitator. Affective and cognitive needs are keys, and the goal is to develop self-actualized people in a cooperative, supportive environment.
II.
Humanistic Orientations to Learning
Humanistic theory as applied to learning is largely constructivist and emphasizes cognitive and affective processes. Humanistic theories emphasize people’s capabilities and potentialities as they make choices and seek control over their lives. They do not explain behaviour in terms of reinforcing responses to environmental stimuli. In other words, humanistic theories are in contrast to the behaviourist notion of operant conditioning, which argues that all behaviour is the result of the application of consequences. That is, they differ from the behaviourist view that expects extrinsic rewards to be more effective. Extrinsic rewards are rewards from the outside world, e.g. praise, money, gold stars, etc. Intrinsic rewards are rewards from within oneself, rather like a satisfaction of
References: University of Phoenix, AC Associated Content (Dec. 8, 2006) http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/humanist.htm