The Theories and Theorists that Shape our Understanding of the Learning Process
Find out how to make the most of your teaching experience by exploring this overview of Education and Psychology: Theories and Theorists.
Watch the history of education psychology unfold in our timeline, or visit one of our theory overview pages to find out about major theories in the field. Then click on a psychologist to see a profile and learn more details about their impact on education and how you can apply their ideas in your own environment
Behaviorism
Behaviorism is the theory or doctrine that postulates that human or animal psychology can be accurately studied only through the examination and analysis of objectively, observable and quantifiable behavioral events, in contrast with subjective mental states. It is essentially a study of external human behavior rather than internal consciousness and desires.
Constructivism
Constructivist Theory states that learning is an active process in which learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon their current/past knowledge and then synthesizes the information, applies it and reflects upon it. Cognitive structure (i.e., schema, mental models) provides meaning and organization to experiences and allows the individual to go beyond the information given.
Cognitive theories of learning, developed largely in response to the dominant behavioral theories of the 1950’s and 1960’s, suggest that learning results from internal mental activity and not from externally imposed stimuli. The crucial mechanisms of learning involve the role of the learner’s prior experience, the processing of information and the organization of the information to be learned. (Merriam, Caffarella & Baumgartner, 2007)
Cognitivism
Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is a learning theory that explores cognitive development and behavior based on social interaction. It was developed in response to the dominant Behaviorist models of learning prior to the 1960s...[and] is distinctive mainly because of the view of individual agency and the individual’s dynamic and reciprocal interaction in social contexts.