Theories Of Teaching And Learning

Learning can be described as a course of action that encompasses a variety of influences and experiences in order to obtain, change or develop a person’s understanding, ability and vision. The learning process concentrates on what happens when learning occurs. A great deal of information and research discusses the various perspectives and theories of learning. Theories in child development have evolved over time in order to improve children’s lives and assist educators by providing frameworks for teaching. This essay examines cognitive and behaviorist learning theories. Behaviorist theorists deem that behavior is shaped intentionally by influences in an individual’s surroundings. Information is learned and morality is developed by influencing desirable behavior. Learners will attain and recall responses in which the end result is satisfying. Repetition of significant associations also leads to learning. Behaviorists perceive learning can be strengthened when students are ready to make connections. However, if a student is not ready their knowledge acquisition can be hampered. Students are motivated to learn as a result of the satisfying consequences or by the reinforcement provided. There are many theorists of behaviorism. Ivan Pavlov 's study on using the sound of a bell as a form of reinforcement when food was offered to a dog and the discovery that the sound alone caused a dog to salivate after numerous appearances of the conditioned stimulus, gave rise to a number of behaviorist approaches. Behaviorist’s, such as B.F. Skinner, highlight learning as a progression of developing associations between stimuli and responses. Skinner considered the greatest way to appreciate behavior is by examining the causes of an action and the consequences. He called this approach operant conditioning (McLeod, 2007). Simply put, if a child acts in a particular way and something happens as a result, then the child will act accordingly. There are many types of

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