A Few Learning Theories

Piaget’s Cognitive-Developmental Theory is based on an invariant sequence of stages of development; every being passes through each stage, in order, at their own pace. The general periods of development are Sensorimotor Intelligence, Preoperational Thought, Concrete Operations, and Formal Operations (Crain, 2011). The underlying idea to Piaget’s theory is that the act of learning comes from within the learner. I agree with the majority of his theory and can make use of it in my own teaching by being aware of the level of development of my students, and using methods that are at or slightly above their developmental capabilities.

Closely related is Kamii’s Constructivism, which could be considered the application of Piaget’s theory. Kamii’s theory is based on Piaget’s idea that children construct their own knowledge. In practice, children should be allowed to work on problems that are of interest to them, and given the opportunity to solve them on their own (Crain, 2011). I wholeheartedly agree that a learner is more successful when problems are solved independently, rather than being told the correct answer and moving on. My own son can attest to my (inadvertent) use of this method: when he asks me a question about something, my answer is another question. It is my hope that in giving him something else to think about, he can glean the information necessary to solve the problem on his own.

Skinner’s Operant Conditioning is based on the idea that behavior is guided by its consequences. A behavior that elicits a positive consequence will be more likely to occur than one that has negative consequences (Crain, 2011). In my class, I plan to use this type of conditioning to guide the behavior of students in order to maintain an environment conducive to learning. I will try to reward students who exhibit good behavior (turning in homework, being respectful, helping other students), and discourage poor behavior (acting up, showing off) by withdrawing attention.

Crain, W. (2011). Theories of development: Concepts and applications. Boston: Prentice Hall.