Pedagogical perspective Flashcards
1
Q
what is learning
A
- a process that results in a change in knowledge or behaviour as a result of experience
- there are three main theories
- behaviourism
- cognitivism
- constructivism
2
Q
what is behaviourism
A
- based around skinners work on strengthening bonds between a stimulus and a response (operant conditioning)
- it is like a simple feedback system, if a reward follows an action , it is more likely to be repeated
- the teacher/coach controls the environment to achieve desired outcomes
- … whilst the participant remains a passive receiver of that knowledge
- ‘by being sensitive to the way learners learn in different ways and at different rates, behaviourist approaches are not rejected, but sometimes employed ‘as part of developing a richer and more extensive repertoire of pedagogical strategies’’
3
Q
what is cognitivism
A
- whereas behaviorists focused mainly on the products of learning (the behaviour or outcome), cognitivists considered the processes by which people learn
- metacognition: the mind is like a computer or information processor. Learners receive, store and act on information
- transmission model: teachers/coaches are seen as expert and pupil/athlete are viewed as novice
- context of learning: is largely irrelevant to the learning process as learning happens within the individual
- thinking and learning are viewed as skills, the effectiveness of which is determined by individuals innate cognitive structures
- learning is seen as social
- learning is viewed as involving the development of links between short term and long term memory
4
Q
what is constructivism
A
- learners are active in the learning process
- they believe that learning is most effective when it is active, interactive and authentic
- cognitive constructivism: idea suggested by Piaget (1970) that childrens minds are more than ‘empty vessels’ to be filled with information
- instead he argued that they actively process information through accommodation and assimilation and that knowledge is experienced
- social constructivism: founded by vygotsky (1978)
- he suggested that learning occurs through engaging in shared problem solving experiences with an adult educator or peers, and responsibility for learning gradually shifts to the learner
- educators must be aware of individuals prior learning so that they can ‘construct’ additional learning
- the pedagogical focus is task-oriented, hands on, self directed activities oriented towards design and discovery
- ‘… and the learning environment is likely to be active, energetic and noisy’
- compared to other learning approaches, the learner is much more active than passive