LEARNING THEORIESCHAPTER 3.

Learning and Teaching We want children to be actively engaged in learning.

(the construction of knowledge in specific situations)

Teachers work with children whose cognitive abilities

are developing.

(the general growth and change of cognitive

structures)

Learning theories are used to inform teacher practice.

Learning Theories Piaget

Vygotsky and Social Cognition

Constructivism

Multiple Intelligences

Piaget’s Theory of Learning Piaget's theory is based on the idea that

the developing child builds cognitive

structures .

The development of understanding

takes place across 4 age-related stages.

Piaget’s Developmental Stages

Sensorimotor stage (birth - 2 years old): The child, through physical interaction with his or her environment, builds a set of concepts about reality and how it works. This is the stage where a child does not know that physical objects remain in existence even when out of sight (object permanence).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NjBh9ld_yIo&feature=related

Preoperational stage (ages 2-7): The child is not yet able to conceptualize abstractly and needs concrete physical situations. (conservation: aspects of the object/situation remain the same after transformation)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B65EJ6gMmA4

Piaget’s Developmental Stages Concrete operations (ages 5-11): As physical

experience accumulates, the child starts to conceptualize, creating logical structures that explain his or her physical experiences. Abstract problem solving is also possible at this stage. For example, arithmetic equations can be solved with numbers, not just with objects.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJyuy4B2aKU

Formal operations (beginning at ages 11-15): By this point, the child's cognitive structures are like those of an adult and include conceptual reasoning.

Implications for teaching: Curriculum must be developmentally appropriate and instruction must take place within the context of development.

Vygotsky and Social Cognition “one child could, with cooperation, solve

problems designed for 12 year olds, while the other could not go beyond problems intended for 9 year olds”

Culture is a significant factor in development – 1) what is learned and 2) how it is learned (tools of intellectual adaptation)

Dialogue is critical to learning Scaffolding – where the adult continually

adjusts the level of his or her help in response to the child's level of performance

Zone of proximal development – the difference that exists between what child can do on her own and what the child can do with help

Constructivism Philosophy of learning where learners construct their

own understanding of the world.

Process of learning is the search for meaning.

Meaning is understanding the whole as well as the

parts.

Children construct meaning by connecting and

combining prior information with new information.

Learning is a process of adjusting our mental models

to accommodate new experiences.

Multiple Intelligences Howard Gardner proposed 7 ways that people

perceive & understand the world.

Present curriculum favors the verbal-linguistic

and logical-mathematical intelligences.

Believes that curriculum should reflect these 7

intelligences allowing all students to learn

through role playing, cooperative learning,

reflection, visualization, etc.

Multiple Intelligences cont. Verbal-Linguistic: The ability to use words and language.

Logical-Mathematical: The capacity for inductive and

deductive thinking and reasoning, as well as the use of

numbers and the recognition of abstract patterns .

Visual-Spatial: The ability to visualize objects and spatial

dimensions, and create internal images and pictures.

Body-Kinesthetic: The wisdom of the body and the

ability to control physical motion.

Multiple Intelligences cont. Body-Kinesthetic: The wisdom of the body and the ability to

control physical motion.

Musical-Rhythmic: The ability to recognize tonal patterns

and sounds, as well as a sensitivity to rhythms and beats.

Interpersonal: The capacity for person-to-person

communications and relationships.

Intrapersonal: The spiritual, inner states of being, self-

reflection, and awareness.

http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrength

s.html

http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/cgi-bin/results.cgi

Shaw, D. G., et al. (2000). Science fairs for all. Science & Children, 38(3), 14-19.

What does this mean for teaching science? Science is understanding the natural world. For children to learn science teachers must:

Allow multiple experiences for children to learn a concept

Be able to modify experiences to meet developmental abilities

Provide for learning in social venues that support dialogues