behaviourism/ humanism/ theorists

Behaviourism

Learning is a change in observable behaviour acquired through conditioning—the interaction with the environment.

Learning Mechanism in Behaviourism

Behaviour is shaped by stimulus-response associations, where desired behaviours are encouraged through reinforcement and undesirable ones are suppressed through punishment.

Constructivism

Learners actively construct their own understanding and knowledge of the world through experience and reflecting on those experiences.

Cognitive Constructivism

Focuses on an individual's mental processes and internal construction of knowledge.

Mechanism of Cognitive Constructivism

Knowledge is built by adapting new information into existing mental structures (schemas) through processes like assimilation and accommodation.

Social Constructivism

Emphasizes the role of social interaction, culture, and language in knowledge construction.

Mechanism of Social Constructivism

Learning is fundamentally a social process that occurs through collaboration and dialogue with more knowledgeable others.

Humanism

Focuses on the whole individual, emphasizing concepts like free will, personal worth, and the innate drive toward self-actualization.

Learning Environment in Humanism

Emphasizes creating a supportive, non-judgmental environment where the learner has autonomy and control over their own learning process.

Abraham Maslow

Proposed a pyramid-shaped hierarchy of human needs, arguing that basic needs must be met before pursuing higher-level psychological needs.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

The ultimate goal is self-actualization: the desire to become the most that one can be.

Carl Rogers

Emphasized that optimal development and self-actualization require an environment providing genuineness, acceptance, and empathy.

Congruence in Rogers' Theory

A healthy personality involves harmony between the self-image and the ideal self.

Ivan Pavlov

Discovered classical conditioning, where a neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus until it evokes a conditioned response.

B.F. Skinner

Learning is controlled by consequences: behaviours that are reinforced tend to be repeated, while those that are punished tend to be extinguished.

Jean Piaget

Proposed that children progress through four universal stages of cognitive development, actively constructing their understanding of the world.

Lev Vygotsky

Introduced the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), the gap between what a learner can do independently and with guidance.

Albert Bandura

Learning occurs through observing others and imitating their behaviour, involving attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation.

Self-efficacy

Belief in one's own ability to succeed, emphasized by Bandura.

Noam Chomsky

Argued that the capacity for human language is innate, proposing that all human languages share a universal grammatical structure.

Active Learning Process

Any educational method or cognitive strategy where the student is actively and deliberately involved in the learning process.

Passive Learning

Receiving information without active involvement, such as listening to a lecture or reading.

What is a criticism of behaviorism related to internal mental states?

It neglects internal mental states such as thoughts and feelings.

How does behaviorism affect intrinsic motivation?

It overemphasizes extrinsic rewards, which can kill intrinsic motivation.

What is a reactive nature of behaviorism?

It addresses symptoms rather than root causes.

How can behaviorism stifle creativity and autonomy?

By focusing only on observable behaviors.

What are the potential emotional harms of behaviorism for children?

It can lead to shame and anxiety.

What is a consequence of behaviorism's focus on observable behaviors?

It leads to short-term fixes.

Noam Chomsky

Nativist/Innatist theorist who believes humans are born with an innate, biological predisposition for language.

Core Idea (Chomsky)

Humans are born with an innate, biological predisposition for language (LAD).

Mechanism (Chomsky)

A 'Universal Grammar' (UG) provides the underlying rules common to all languages, allowing rapid acquisition from limited input.

View on Development (Chomsky)

Language isn't learned from scratch but activated and refined by experience.

Focus (Chomsky)

Syntax, universal structures, innate mental modules.

Jean Piaget

Cognitivist/Constructivist theorist who believes language is a product of overall cognitive development.

Core Idea (Piaget)

Language is a product of overall cognitive development, not a separate faculty.

Mechanism (Piaget)

Children build cognitive structures (schemas) through interaction, and language emerges as they develop concepts like object permanence and symbolic representation.

View on Development (Piaget)

Language follows cognitive milestones (sensorimotor, pre-operational, etc.).

Focus (Piaget)

The intertwined development of thought and language, environmental interaction.

Key Differences (Source)

Chomsky (innate structure) vs. Piaget (cognitive construction).

Key Differences (Timing)

Chomsky (pre-wired) vs. Piaget (gradual emergence with stages, cognitive constructivism).

Key Differences (Relation to Thought)

Chomsky (language is somewhat independent) vs. Piaget (language depends on thought).

Person-centred approach

An approach that encourages individuals to learn and explore, developing a sense of self.

Holistic learning

An educational approach that considers the whole person and their experiences.

Facilitator's role in education

A teacher should encourage students to learn through play and experience without giving direct answers.

Student centred approach

An educational method that recognizes that every child learns at a different rate and requires differentiation.

Constructivism in education

The idea that individuals are expected to construct their own understanding through experiences.