Learning Theories in Science Education
Learning is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon and it is therefore unlikely that a single model could explain all aspects of the process. The twentieth century has seen the development of many different models of learning, referred to as learning theorie
- PDF / 247,683 Bytes
- 11 Pages / 612 x 792 pts (letter) Page_size
- 39 Downloads / 341 Views
7. LEARNING THEORIES IN SCIENCE EDUCATION
INTRODUCTION
Learning is a complex, multi-faceted phenomenon and it is therefore unlikely that a single model could explain all aspects of the process. The twentieth century has seen the development of many different models of learning, referred to as learning theories, some of which are discussed below. The theories emphasise different aspects of learning and are based on a range of different assumptions about knowledge. Though one of these theories, constructivism, is seen as the dominant way of thinking about learning in science education, other theories also contain insights for teachers and researchers. In this chapter, various theories will be grouped together under three broad headings, based on a similarity of assumptions: behaviourism, cognitive theory, and constructivism. As the theories outlined below make varied claims about the manner in which humans acquire new information, they lead to different recommendations for teachers’ practice. The implications of each of the models in the science classroom are considered at the end of each section. Whilst considering the different theories it is worth holding in mind that each is a model of the learning process and, though no model is a complete description of the world, some are more useful than others. The reader may wish to consider the validity of the assumptions of each model, and the fruitfulness of the teaching approaches suggested. BEHAVIOURISM
Behaviourism has its foundation in animal studies. Pavlov realised that if a bell was rung when the dogs in his laboratory were fed, the dogs salivary response was stimulated by the sound of the bell, even if no food was set out (Pavlov, 1927). He defined the development of an association between a stimulus (the sound of the bell) and a response (salivation) as conditioning. This stimulus-response link is central to behaviourist models of learning. The theory is concerned only with observable behaviours of learning, and avoids making claims about psychological processes or entities such as mental states or consciousness. These assumptions led to the development of one of the earliest sets of educational principles, Throndike’s (1927) ‘laws of learning.’ For example, Thorndike proposed the law of effect, which suggests that events that occur after a stimulus-response pairing can alter the strength of the connection. The use of praise to reinforce on-task behaviour might be considered a classroom application of this law. Behaviourist principles came to K. S. Taber & B. Akpan (Eds.), Science Education, 93–103. © 2017 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved.
S. AGARKAR & R. BROCK
dominate teacher education in the 1950’s and saw the rise of models of teachers as dispensers of punishment and an emphasis on drill and practice approaches in the classroom. A key behaviourist thinker, Skinner (1958), proposed the idea of teaching machines, devices which would provide the best environment for conditioning. A student would enter their answer to a multiple-choice question into t
Data Loading...