Theories and Model of ECE Flashcards
What’s the meaning of learning?
The cognitive and behavioral changes that result from experiences
What’s the meaning of theory?
A set of assumptions or principles that organize, analyze, predict, or explain specific events, behaviors or processes; Theories are used to explain a particular phenomenon
What is constructivism?
A cognitive theory of learning and development
What does the constructivism theory state?
The human brain accumulates knowledge and meaning from an interaction between experiences they encounter and the ideas they already have
What are the basic principles of Jean Piaget’s theory of learning?
- Active learning
- Adaptation
- Assimilation
- Accommodation
- Equilibrium
What does Jean Piaget say about children’s curiosity?
Children are curious by nature and are actively involved in their own learning process. The important skill they need to develop is to organize their experiences and learn from them
Explain the first step of Jean Piaget’s learning theory
Active learning: Children develop and learn through physical and mental engagement. They are actively involved in problem-setting and problem-solving activities
Explain the second step of Jean Piaget’s learning theory
Adaptation: The organization of senses and experiences. The quality of the environment and the nature of the experiences themselves play a significant role in the development of children’s intelligence
Explain the third step of Jean Piaget’s learning theory
Assimilation: Taking in and understanding of new information. How much a child can assimilate depends on their level of understanding. New information must be connected with the child’s prior knowledge. Children use existing experiences to understand new ones
Explain the fourth step of Jean Piaget’s learning theory
Accommodation: When the absorption of new information leads to a change in an existing schema
What’s an example of accommodation in the schema?
A child who’s always been given juice in a green plastic cup would assume all contain juice. Offer the child water in the same cup, the child would realize not all green plastic cups contain juice
Explain the final step of Jean Piaget’s learning theory
Equilibrium: the balance between assimilation and accommodation. It happens when all pieces of information fit in the child’s schemas. Disequilibrium is when the pieces do not add up. A child abandons an old idea, that no longer fits, for a new one
What are Jean Piaget’s stages of cognitive development?
- Sensorimotor stage (birth to 2 years)
- Preoperational stage (2 years to 7 years)
- Concrete operational stage (7 years to 11 years)
- Formal operational stage (12 years and above)
Name the six stages in the sensorimotor period
- Reflexive schemes (birth to 1 month)
- Primary circular reactions (1 month to 4 months)
- Secondary circular reflexes (4 months to 8 months)
- Coordination of secondary circular reactions (8 months to 12 months)
- Tertiary circular reaction (12 months to 18 months)
- Mental representation (18 months to 24 months)
Name the typical behavior in the first stage of the sensorimotor period?
Reflexive schemes: They will use the reflexes which they are born with; suck, cry, grasp, hear and see
Name the typical behavior in the second stage of the sensorimotor period?
Primary circular reactions: They begin to gain voluntary control over their actions. By repeating chance behaviors largely motivated by basic needs. They also accomplish simple motor habits centered around their own body (sucking fists or thumbs)
What is an example of the second stage in the sensorimotor stage?
Baby sees their hands touch, open and close. They try to repeat their movements
Name the typical behavior in the third stage of the sensorimotor period?
Secondary circular reflexes: They recognise they can cause things to happen; they learn that they can affect the environment
What is an example of the third stage in the sensorimotor stage?
The baby accidentally hits a hanging toy, and tries to recapture the effect of the interesting swinging toy
Name the typical behavior in the fourth stage of the sensorimotor period?
The child develops object permanence and engage in intentional or goal-oriented behavior
What is an example of the fourth stage in the sensorimotor stage?
The child sees the string of a pull toy, rather than crawling over, they might instead reach out and grab the string and purposely pull the string in order to acquire the toy
Name the typical behavior in the fifth stage of the sensorimotor period?
Tertiary circular reaction: exploration of the properties of object acting on them in novel (a new kind) ways. They try to find new ways of using familiar objects, as well as have an advance understanding of object permanence
What is an example of the fifth stage in the sensorimotor stage?
Toddler looks in several locations to find the hidden toy
Name the typical behavior in the final stage of the sensorimotor period?
- Begin to develop mental pictures of familiar objects, people and actions
- Can start working out problems and pursuing ideas in their head
- May experiment on objects in their minds, predicting what would happen if they do something to an object, then transforming their plans to action
- Develops the ability to recall and copy another person’s behavior
State what happens in the preoperational stage (2 years to 7 years)
- Employs symbolic representation
- Egocentric
- Rely on perception rather than logic
How do you know when symbolic representation is evident?
When children use words, make-believe play, imitation and drawing or sculpting to represent something
State what happens in the concrete operational stage (7 years to 11 years)
A major turning point in cognitive development. They develop the ability to comprehend and formulate ideas, beginning to think logically. They begin to understand conservation, classification, seriation and spatial reasoning
State what happens in the formal operational stage (12 years and above)
- Able to use complex thinking skills to visualize and manipulate ideas and experiences without having access to real objects
- Able to think logically, weigh consequences and use memory and abstract thinking for problem solving
What are important child developmental stages?
- Object permanence
- Irreversibility: Learning that actions and thinking are irreversible
- Egocentrism
- Symbolic thought
- Conservation
What is seriation?
In ascending or descending order; lightest to darkest, smallest to biggest
What is Lev Vygotsky’s ZPD?
Zone of Proximal Development. Assisted and independent learning are key terms
What is scaffolding?
The assisting based on the child’s need and current cognitive level
Give an example of positive and negative reinforcement
Example: Rats are taught to push a lever
Positive reinforcement - A rat was awarded food when it pressed the lever
Negative reinforcement - A rat turns off electric shocks produced when pressing the lever
Other examples, detention and rewards / colored pencils
What does the humanistic theory state?
A child is motivated to learn if the learning materials are personally meaningful, and if their environment tends to cause something to their learning. This theory is child centered
What are the stages of Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy needs?
- Self actualization
- Esteem
- Love / belonging
- Safety
- Physiological (basic needs)
What are Erik Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development?
(There are 8 but we focus on the first four)
- Infancy (birth to 1 year): Basic trust vs mistrust
- Toddlers (1 year to 3 years): Autonomy vs doubt and shame
- Preschool (3 years to 5 years): Initiative vs guilt
- School age (5 years to 8 years): Industry vs inferiority
What does Erik Erikson’s theory state?
That social experiences have an impact on the entire lifespan of an individual
How many intelligences are there according to Howard Gardner?
Eight
What are the intelligences?
- Spatial
- Naturalist
- Musical
- Bodily-kinesthetic
- Logical-mathematical
- Interpersonal
- Intra-personal
- Linguistic
What is spatial intelligence?
Visualizing the world in 3D
What is naturalist intelligence?
Understanding living things and reading nature
What is musical intelligence?
Being able to discern sounds, pitch, tone rhythm and timbre
What is bodily-kinesthetic intelligence?
Coordinating the mind with the body
What is logical-mathematical intelligence?
Quantifying things, making hypotheses and proving them
What is interpersonal intelligence?
Sensing people’s feelings and motives
What is intrapersonal intelligence?
Understanding yourself, what you feel and what you want
What is linguistic intelligence?
Finding the right words to express what you mean
What is Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory?
How a child’s development is affected by their social relationships and the world around them
What are the stages in Urie Bronfenbrenner’s ecological theory?
- Microsystem
- Mesosystem
- Exosystem
- Macrosystem
- Chronosystem
Describe the first stage of the ecological theory
Microsystem: The one they have direct contact with, such as home, school, daycare or work. Typically includes, family, peers, or caregiver. Reactions to people in the microsystem affect how they treat you in return. The most influential level
Describe the second stage of the ecological theory
Mesosystem: Interactions between different parts of a person’s microsystem. Where a person’s individual microsystems do not function independently, but are interconnected and influence each other. They have an indirect impact on the individual
Describe the third stage of the ecological theory
Exosystem: A setting that affects the person despite being not being an active participant; this includes decisions that have bearing on them but had no involvement in the decision making process
Eg: Would a child be affected by a parent losing their job?
Describe the fourth stage of the ecological theory
Macrosystem: The culture in which individuals live & other systems that affect them. Can be +ve or -ve. Cultural contexts include developing and industrialized countries, socioeconomics, poverty and ethnicity
Describe the final stage of the ecological theory
Chronosystem: The environmental events that occur throughout a child’s life, including any socio historical events, major life transitions or historical events
