TRADITIONAL LEARNING THEORIES

Traditional Learning Theories

Traditional Learning Theories

A learning theory is a set of systematic, integrated concepts and research-based descriptions of how individuals acquire knowledge, skills, and competencies, thus helping us understand the inherently complex process of learning. The relationship between curriculum and learning theories is a very close one. Curriculum is essentially a roadmap for learning and as such focuses on competencies and skills that are important to learn. Learning theories are frameworks educators consider when designing a curriculum and applying it to teaching and learning. With a learning theory as a conceptual framework, curriculum and instruction can be structured around making learning most effective.

There are many different theories of how people learn; therefore, it is hard to categorize learning theories in exactly the same way. In general, there are three main categories or philosophical and psychological frameworks under which learning theories fall: behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism. Behaviorism views learning as a measurable change of behavior resulting from environmental factors. Cognitive theories emphasize internal mental organization of knowledge, stressing the acquisition of knowledge, mental structures, and the processing of information. Constructivism views learning as a process in which the learner actively constructs new ideas or concepts based on prior knowledge and/or experience. (Vygotsky, 1978)

Behaviorism

Behaviorism as a theory of learning that focuses on objectively observable behaviors and defines learning as the acquisition of new behavior through conditioning that occurs through interaction with the environment. Behaviorism was built upon the works of Ivan P. Pavlov, B. F. Skinner, J. B. Watson, and others. There are two types of possible conditioning: (1) classical conditioning, where the behavior becomes a reflexive or involuntary response to stimulus, and (2) operant conditioning, where there is reinforcement of behavior by a reward or a punishment. Classical conditioning starts with a reflex: an instinctive, unintentional behavior caused by ...