Theories and theorists ( chapter 3)
Theories of Development and Learning
Importance of Theories
Theories of learning and development guide an educator's practice.
Theories support:
Philosophy
Curriculum approach
Environments
Interactions
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences
Identifies a minimum of 8 Intelligences:
Verbal-Linguistic: Ability to use language effectively for communication.
Logical-Mathematical: Excel in math and logical thinking.
Visual-Spatial: Experience and understand the world in three dimensions.
Bodily-Kinesthetic: Coordination between mind and body, skilled in physical activities.
Musical-Rhythmic: Understand music, recognizing sound, pitch, tone, and rhythm.
Interpersonal: Ability to communicate and interact effectively with others.
Naturalistic: Ability to understand and relate to nature.
Intrapersonal: Capacity to understand oneself, including feelings, motivations, and goals.
Each intelligence is independent of the others.
Piaget’s Theory of Cognitive Development
Stages of Cognitive Development:
Preoperational Stage (2-7 years):
Uses language and symbols to construct knowledge of the world.
Characterized by egocentric thinking, difficulty in seeing from other viewpoints.
Concrete Operational Stage (7-11 years):
Able to reason logically in real-life situations.
Understands conservation of numbers, mass, and weight; classifies objects by several features.
Formal Operational Stage (11 years and onward):
Engages in logical thinking about abstract propositions.
Concerned with hypothetical situations and future possibilities; creates hypotheses and tests them.
Indicates that children construct their own knowledge as they assimilate and accommodate new information.
Information Processing Model
Focuses on how individuals learn and remember information.
Three Key Components:
Sensory Register: Registers all sensory input (e.g., avoid distractions).
Short-Term Memory: Children use strategies, like mnemonic devices (e.g., acronyms), to help understand information they have.
Long-Term Memory: Information from past experiences aids in understanding or remembering new information.
Vygotsky’s Sociocultural Theory
Learning occurs within the context of family and social cultures.
Key Concepts:
Language is considered key to learning.
Learning occurs within the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD):
Tasks that are neither too easy nor too difficult, allowing for optimal learning.
Scaffolding: Support from more knowledgeable individuals, such as peers or adults, enhances learning.
Cognitive development is a socially mediated process.
Emphasizes that children learn with the help of adults and peers.
Erikson's Psychosocial Theory of Development
Comprises 8 Stages of Psychosocial Development throughout one's lifespan:
Trust vs Mistrust (0-1 year)
Autonomy vs Shame and Doubt (1-3 years)
Initiative vs Guilt (4-6 years)
Industry vs Inferiority (6-12 years)
Identity vs Role Confusion (12-18 years)
Intimacy vs Isolation (18-40 years)
Generativity vs Stagnation (40-65 years)
Integrity vs Despair (65 years-death)
At each stage, individuals face a crisis that can be resolved positively or negatively.
Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs
Individuals have specific needs that motivate their actions.
Hierarchy of Needs:
Lower-level (deficiency) needs must be met before higher-level (being/growth) needs can be addressed.
Physiological Needs (deficiency): Air, water, food, shelter, sleep, clothing.
Safety Needs (deficiency): Security, health, resources.
Belongingness & Love Needs (deficiency): Friendship, intimacy, family.
Esteem Needs (deficiency): Self-esteem, recognition, status.
Need to Know & Understand (being/growth).
Aesthetic Needs (being/growth).
Self-Actualization Needs (being/growth): Desire to become the most that one can be.
Motivation increases as needs are met.
Bandura's Social-Cognitive Theory of Learning
Linked to both behaviorist and cognitivist theories; emphasizes:
Learning through observations.
The role of attention and motivation in the learning process.
Influence of past experiences on current learning.
The impact of rewards and punishments on behavior.
Key Concepts:
People can learn through observation.
Mental states are important to learning.
Learning does not necessarily lead to behavior change.
Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory
Examines the individual in relation to environmental systems:
Microsystem: Immediate surroundings (peers, family, school).
Mesosystem: Interconnections between various microsystems (e.g., family and school).
Exosystem: External environmental settings (e.g., school board, social media) indirectly impacting the child.
Macrosystem: Cultural values, beliefs, customs, and laws.
Chronosystem: The pattern of events, transitions, and changes over time.
Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
The theory encompasses three levels of moral development:
Preconventional (under 11 years): Moral decisions are made based on self-interest; own needs are prioritized.
Conventional (7-11 years): Moral decisions are made based on conforming to social rules and pleasing others; rules are seen as rigid.
Post-conventional (11 years and onward): Understanding that rules are social agreements and can be changed; views human rights and empathy.
Moral reasoning is linked to:
Cognitive developmental stage.
Motivation.
Past experiences.
The society's justice structure.
Gilligan's Care Perspective of Moral Development
Gilligan emphasizes the significance of group membership in moral reasoning and indicates that there are gender differences in moral reasoning.
Gilligan's Stages of the Ethic of Care:
Preconventional: Individual survival, transitioning from selfishness to responsibility.
Conventional: Self-sacrifice as goodness, transitioning from goodness to recognizing one's own needs.
Postconventional: Principle of nonviolence; emphasis on not harming others or oneself.
Level 1: Individual Survival - selfish, egocentric.
Level 2: Care and Responsibility for Others - self-sacrificing, altruistic actions.
Level 3: Balance of Care - recognizes the importance of oneself as well as others.