Theories of Learning & Me

Before beginning my teaching education, I had no idea what theories of knowledge or learning were. Sure, growing up I could tell which teachers did a better job at engaging students in multiple ways, and which teachers used punitive tools in their classroom when we were “bad” (hello grade 6 with the green, yellow, and red coloured pocket squares). I also knew that I was someone who liked to learn by reading and writing rather than listening. However, it was not until university, when these theories were presented to us, that I began to make the connections between what I experienced in school and our education systems.

In university, we spent time discussing the theories of learning, but I had little idea how they actually connected to teaching in a classroom. Of course we would discuss examples and ways that teachers would use them in a class, but often times, unless I could make a personal connection (hello again pocket square chart), I was unable to imagine how this actually fit into the classroom and how I personally would use/not use these theories as a teacher.

https://www.learningsuccessblog.com/six-education-theorists-all-teachers-should-know

Our university education focused primarily on these 6 educational theorists. We spent a lot of time discussing multiple intelligences as well as Bloom’s Taxonomy. The rest of our time discussing theory was focused on the three main branches: behaviourism, cognitivism, and constructivism. But what are these?

Behaviourism
According to Ertmer & Newby, learning in regards to behaviourism “is accomplished when a proper response is demonstrated following the presentation of a specific environmental stimulus.” It focuses on the importance of consequences and “no attempt is made to determine the structure of a student’s knowledge, nor to assess which mental processes it is necessary for them to use.” Some examples of behaviourism commonly seen in classrooms include rewards for behaviour, classroom management systems (either positive or punitive), sounds used to get student’s attention, and repetition (reviews, quizzes etc.).

Cognitivism
Cognitivism differs greatly from behaviourism. In this case, it focuses “on the conceptualization of students’ learning processes and address[es] the issues of how information is received, organized, stored, and retrieved by the mind. Learning is concerned not so much with what learners do but with what they know and how they come to acquire it.” In this approach, the learner or student is more of an active participant. In order for instruction to be effective, students must be able to make connections with their existing knowledge. Some examples of cognitivism in the classroom include: having students reflect on their experiences, KWL charts, problem solving, and self regulation.

https://hamizahmohdisa.blogspot.com/2019/10/3-major-learning-theories-behaviorism.html

Constructivism
This theory “equates learning with creating meaning from experience.” It differs from cognitivism as it is believed that “that the mind filters input from the world to produce its own unique reality.” Our own interpretations and experiences play an important role. It is both the learner and the environmental factors that creates knowledge. Examples in the classroom include: project based learning, experimentation, group work, and field trips.

These Theories & Me

Now, after all this time learning about these theories, how did they come into play in my classroom?

I remember my first few years of teaching. We all know how rough they can be. You are trying to keep your head above water, learn the curriculum, learn proper classroom management, and still have time to live your life outside of work. I’ll admit that for those first 2-3 years, I rarely thought about these theories of learning. Sure, I was definitely using all of them in different ways, but I wasn’t necessarily doing so intentionally. A lot of what I was doing at that time was similar to those around me, or based off my previous school experiences.

Now that I have a few years under my belt, I find that I am more intentional in my planning and classroom relationship building. I am always trying to find ways to make sure that my lessons and activities are varied. Here are just some ways I use these theories in my classroom:

• Behaviourism: I use a class reward system (whole group) in order to provide my students positive reinforcements for being respectful and following expectations. At the beginning of the year, the class together decides on the rewards they are wanting to earn. As it is a class system, the entire class is not punished for the behaviour of a few students, nor are those students called out in front of the class.
• Behaviourism: I also use a wireless doorbell in my classroom. My student know that when they hear the doorbell they need to stop, look, and listen. I use this in conjunction with my timer.
• Cognitivism: I frequently use KWL charts as well as many whole class and small group discussions to help my students make connections to their prior knowledge. We also work on self regulation skills.
• Constructivism: We do lots of experiments and group work in my classroom. I like to vary the types of work we are doing and have students work in different groups to be able to learn from each other (various sized groups, sometimes with their friends, sometimes not).

All in all, it is difficult to explain exactly how everything we do in a classroom all day fits nicely into one of these categories. As teachers, I think that it is important that we are not asking what is the BEST theory to use, and instead asking ourselves are we doing our BEST to help our students and meet their needs? Perhaps it is not the theory we use, but the mix of approaches that is the best answer for all.

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