Educational Theorists

What is a Theory? Theories are used for building a better understanding of the teaching and learning process. Theory = guess or hunch Scientific Theory=interrelated set of concepts that are used to explain a body of data and to make predictions about the results of future experiments.

What is a Theory Fact or Fiction? – Principles will give you help – Theories will give you options

Theory 1 cs

Theory 2 l0g l0g

Stage Theorists Jean Piaget – Famous For: described 4 different stages of cognitive development – Implication on education: claims one cannot master one level before completing the previous.

Piaget’s Stage Theory AgePeriodCharacteristics 0-2Sensori-motorInfants learns to differentiate between itself and other objects within its environment, learning the difference between ‘me’ and ‘not me’. 2-4Pre-operational thoughtThe child is still very egocentric, but now classifies objects in simple ways – particularly by individual important features. 4-7IntuitiveThe child now classifies things more generally, but is not aware of the classes that he or she uses. 7-11Concrete operationsHere, the child can use logical operations, such as reversal, deliberate classifications and serialization Formal OperationsNow things become more conceptual as the child is able to think in terms of abstract ideas.

Stage Theorists Sigmund Freud – Famous For: 5-stages of psychosexual development – Implication on education: believes if one stage is not mastered growth will stop.

Freud’s Psychosexual Theory AgeNamePleasure SourceConflict 0-2OralMouth: sucking, biting, swallowingWeaning away from mother’s breast 2-4AnalAnus: defecating or retaining fecesToilet training 4-5PhallicGenitalsMales seek out parent of opposite sex to feel substantiated. 6-PubertyLatencySexual urges sublimated into sports and hobbies. Same-sex friends also help avoid sexual feelings Puberty onwardGenitalPhysical sexual changes reawaken repressed needs. Direct sexual feelings towards others lead to sexual gratification Social Rules

Stage Theorists Erik Erikson – Famous For: Developed Psychosocial Theory, stages where individuals are faced with choices and must resolve the crisis to successfully move on to the next. – Implications for Education: explanation for individuals success and failures throughout life.

Erikson’s Developmental Stage Theory LevelNameCharacteristic Stage 1 Trust vs. Mistrust (infant) A child will only learn trust if its mother meets the child’s deep need for attention and affection. Stage 2 Autonomy vs. Shame and Doubt (age 3) If the exploring child receives encouragement in a search for autonomy, the child will learn trust, otherwise they learn shame and doubt. Stage 3 Initiative vs. Guilt (age 4) If the questioning child is encouraged in their ideas and games, the child will gain confidence or otherwise feel guilty about initiating things. Stage 4 Industry vs. Authority (at school) If encouraged and praised by teachers, the child will increase efforts to learn. If always criticized, the child will learn to feel inferior. Stage 5 Identity vs. role confusion (age 12) If the child’s identity has been reinforced up to puberty, the child will handle it well. If not, there is a frightening identity crisis. Stage 6 Intimacy vs. Isolation (middle age) Identity crises may occur later in life if people cannot or do not relate to others.

Learning & Motivation Theories Behaviorism Information Processing Social Cognitive Theory

Learning and Motivation Theories Behaviorism: Focuses on things that can be observed, classified into a general category. Influenced by 2 environmental factors: – Those that precede it (antecedents) and those that follow it (consequences). – A-B-C Model: Antecedent-Behavior-Consequence Important Concepts – Conditioning, reinforcement, punishment and cueing. Who is involved: – B.F. Skinner Implications for Education: – learn through our actions and consequences, operant conditioning

Operant Conditioning

Learning & Motivation Theories Information Processing Theories that focus on attention, types of memory, how knowledge is represented and stored, forgetting, and the cognitive systems. Important Concepts: – Attention, perception, working memory, long-term memory, and types of knowledge. Who is involved: – Jean Piaget Implications for Education: – Identifies our ability to store and recall knowledge.

Learning & Motivation Theories Social Cognitive Theory Combines behavioral concerns with consequences and cognitive interests in thinking. Important Concepts: – Interactions among behavior, environment, and personal characteristics; beliefs about personal capabilities; learning through observation and modes; and guiding your own learning through self-regulation. Who is Involved: – Albert Bandura Implications for Education: – Addresses our motivations for specific behaviors, why we make certain decisions

Behaviorism: Classical Conditioning Association of automatic responses with new stimuli. Little Albert: QE QE Recreate a scenario with your group to demonstrate how classical conditioning works.

Behaviorism: Operant Conditioning Learning in which voluntary behavior is strengthened or weakened by antecedents (before) or consequences (after). Pavlovs Dog: E E Recreate a scenario with your group to demonstrate how operant conditioning works.

Information Processing

Information Processing: Sensory Memory Sensory Memory: system that holds sensory information very briefly. Draw the picture from the previous slide.

Information Processing: Working Memory The information that you are focusing on at a given moment. Each student needs to stand up and state their name. Once everyone is finished record them in the order they were said.

Social Cognitive Theory: Self-Efficacy A person’s sense of being able to deal effectively with a particular task. Beliefs about personal competence in a particular situation. On your note paper, identify one thing you feel you do very well and one thing you feel you are not able to do from experience.

Social Cognitive Theory: Self- Regulation Process of activating and sustaining thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in order to reach goals. Record your answers to the questions on the next page.

Self-Regulation Quiz Think about the class you are taking right now. On a 7-point scale – from 1 = not at all true of me, to 7 = very true of me – answer the following questions. 1.When I study for a test, I try to put together the information from class and from the book. 2.When I do homework, I try to remember what the teacher said in class so I can answer the questions correctly. 3.I know I will be able to learn the material for this class. 4.I expect to do well in this class. 5.I ask myself questions to make sure I know the material I have been studying. 6.Even when study materials are dull and uninteresting, I keep working until I finish.