EDUCATIONAL LEARNING THEORIES

1. Cognitive Learning Theory

Cognitive learning is an active style of learning that focuses on helping you learn how to maximize your brain’s
potential. It makes it easier for you to connect new information with existing ideas, hence deepening your
memory and retention capacity.
The ability of the brain’s mental processes to absorb and retain information through experience, senses, and
thought is known as cognition.
Cognitive learning theory explains how internal and external factors influence an individual’s mental processes
to supplement learning.

Jean Piaget
 He viewed human subjects as beings that not only react to the things around them but also process and
store information related to those things.
 Piaget sought to break knowledge (no matter how simple or complex) into a single, basic unit – Schema
 Piaget saw human development as a multistage process of building knowledge.

Piaget outlines a four-step process in the formation of schemata:

1. Assimilation - Assimilation is the cognitive process of associating new information to what is already known.
Let’s say the child has only seen a cow in picture books. Seeing a cow in person gives them an additional sense
of what a cow looks like and how it behaves.
2. Disequilibrium - Let’s say the child goes to the farm and recognizes a cow. They point out that it has four
legs, eats grass and lives on a farm, all characteristics that this cow shares with the cow in the picture book.
However, instead of making the mooing sound that the child associates with a cow, the animal makes a “baa”
sound. Upon further inspection, this cow has a big puffy white coat of fleece, very much unlike the cow in the
picture book.
3. Accommodation - They will compare and contrast their concept of a cow with the mystery animal currently
in front of them. They will notice that though both a cow and this animal share many aspects (four legs, eating
grass) they contrast in notable ways (different sounds, different coats.) Though they may not have a name for it,
they will conclude that, despite some similarities, this animal is not a cow.
4. Equilibrium - By the end of this accommodation process, the child is equipped with a stable understanding of
what a cow is and is not, as well as what a sheep is and is not. Upon seeing either of these animals, they will not
need to readjust their schema.

For educators, understanding cognitive learning can help them develop effective lesson plans. For everyone
else, the theory’s principles are helpful for understanding how the mind works and how to learn more
effectively.
In the traditional classroom, teachers apply Cognitive Learning Theory by encouraging self-reflection and
explaining their reasoning. The main principle is incorporating student experiences, perspectives, and
knowledge.
2. Behaviorism Learning Theory
Behaviorism or the behavioral learning theory is a popular concept that focuses on how students learn.
Behaviorism focuses on the idea that all behaviors are learned through interaction with the environment. Over
time, these interactions (called “stimuli”) form particular behaviors.
One of the most well-known figures in the history of behaviorism, Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov produced
a body of work that’s crucial to behaviorist learning theory.
While working with dogs in his laboratory, Pavlov observed that his canine subjects began to salivate when
certain lab assistants entered the room. It was these lab technicians who normally fed the dogs, but Pavlov
noticed that the dogs began to salivate regardless of whether the assistants were coming in to feed them or not.
Pavlov’s conclusion ignited a career-defining inquiry. He surmised the dogs had associated the presence of these
assistants with the presence of food, which triggered a physiological response (salivation). The experience gave
Pavlov an idea that grew into the concept of classical conditioning.
In the classroom, behavioral learning theory is key in understanding how to motivate and help students. A
common example of behaviorism is positive reinforcement. A student gets a small treat if they get 100% on
their spelling test. In the future, students will work hard and study for their test in order to get the reward.

3. Constructivist Learning Theory

Constructivism is a learning theory that emphasizes the active role of learners in building their own
understanding. Rather than passively receiving information, learners reflect on their experiences, create mental
representations, and incorporate new knowledge into their schemas. This promotes deeper learning and
understanding.
The constructivist theory is based around the idea that learners are active participants in their learning journey;
knowledge is constructed based on experiences. As events occur, each person reflects on their experience and
incorporates the new ideas with their prior knowledge.
The theory of constructivist learning is vital to understanding how students learn. The idea that students actively
construct knowledge is central to constructivism. Students add (or build) their new experiences on top of their
current foundation of understanding.
Constructivism is a way of teaching where instead of just telling students what to believe, teachers encourage
them to think for themselves. This means that teachers need to believe that students are capable of thinking and
coming up with their own ideas. Unfortunately, not all teachers believe this yet in America.
The primary responsibility of the teacher is to create a collaborative problem-solving environment where
students become active participants in their own learning.
From this perspective, a teacher acts as a facilitator of learning rather than an instructor.
4. Humanistic Learning Theory
This theory states that the student is the authority on how they learn, and that all of their needs should be met in
order for them to learn well. For example, a student who is hungry won’t have as much attention to give to
learning. So schools offer meals to students so that need is met, and they can focus on education. The
humanistic theory approach engages social skills, feelings, intellect, artistic skills, practical skills, and more as
part of their education. Self-esteem, goals, and full autonomy are key learning elements in the humanistic
learning theory.
Maslow and the humanists believed that behaviorism and other psychology theories had a negative perception
of learners—for example operant conditioning in behaviorism psychology suggested that students only acted in
a good or bad manner because of the reward or punishment and could be trained based on that desire for a
reward. Maslow and humanistic psychology suggest that students are inherently good and will make good
decisions when all their needs are met.
The humanistic learning theory was developed by Abraham Maslow, Carl Rogers, and James F. T. Bugental in
the early 1900’s.