The Theories and Theorists that Shape our Understanding of the Learning Process
Timeline of Theorists
Immanuel Kant, 1724-1804
Immanuel Kant is a central figure in the development of modern philosophy. He believed and taught that “all reality is theoretically knowable” and worked to resolve differences between empiricism (experience is the source of knowledge) and rationalism (human reason is the source of knowledge).
William James, 1842-1910
A philosopher and a psychologist, William James, has been called the "Father of American psychology."
Ivan Pavlov, 1849-1936
Some would say he is the father of the behaviorist movement, his experiments in the digestive system to learn about physiology lead to the psychological theory of conditional response. Which won him a noble prize in 1904 and paved the way for theorist like Watson and Skinner.
1700-1799
1800-1899
1900-1999
John Dewey, 1859-1952
Dewey is most known for his role in developing the progressive education movement in America. In 1896 Dewey established the Dewey’s Laboratory School which became the brain child of progressive education in contrast to the rigid, teacher centered traditional educational. Dewey made a wealth of timeless contributions to the knowledge base in educational psychology and theory.
Maria Montessor, 1870-1952
Maria Montessori’s scientific approach to the free classroom led to a method of self-directed learning for children.
Edward Thorndike, 1874-1940
He pioneered the fields of animal learning and behavioral psychology with his theory of connectionism which holds that learning takes place through associative bonds. E.L. Thorndike's writings include Principles of Teaching Based on Psychology and The Psychology of Wants, Interests, and Attitudes.
John B. Watson, 1878-1958
He is remembered for codifying and publicizing behaviorism. In his epoch-making article, “Psychology as a Behaviorist Views It” (1913), he asserted that psychology should restrict itself to the objective, experimental study of the relations between environmental events and human behavior.
Kurt Lewin, 1890-1947
Kurt Lewin was a German-American psychologist. He was known as one of the modern pioneers of social, organization, and applied psychology in the United States.
Jean Piaget, 1896-1980
He is best known for his work involving cognitive development in children, and he developed the theory of ‘genetic epistemology’.
Lev Vygotsky, 1896-1934
The work of Lev Vygotsky is considered one of the foundations of research and theory in the field of cognitive development over the past several decades. Vygotsky is particularly known for his research and contributions to the evolution of Social Development Theory. Vygotsky’s theory is one of the foundations of constructivism and contains three major themes:
1. Social interaction as a role in the process of cognitive development
2. The More Knowledgeable other (MKO)
3. The Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD)
Carl Ransom Rogers, 1902-1987
His seminal work on adult education was Freedom to Learn (1969), later updated as Freedom to Learn for the 80’s (1983).
B. F. Skinner, 1904-1990
Skinner’s work was influenced by the studies of Pavlov (Classical Conditioning), Watson (The Behaviorist Manifesto), and Thorndike (Law of Effect).
Raymond Cattell, 1905-1998
Dr. Cattell, a psychologist with a background in chemistry and statistics, spent 70 years contributing to the application of scientific methods to the study of human behavior. His most noted work comes from his statistical use of applying the factor analysis concept to develop a well respected model used in personality/trait assessment called the 16-Factor Personality Model.
Abraham Maslow, 1908-1970
His seminal work on the theory of motivation was Motivation and Personality (1954).
Benjamin Samuel Bloom, 1913-1999
Bloom's Taxomony, known throughout the world, is considered a classic in pedagogical theory.
Malcolm Knowles, 1913-1997
He influenced the development of Humanist Learning Theory and believed that adults were self-directed learners.
Jerome Bruner, 1915-present
Is an American psychologist whose contributions were in human cognitive psychology and cognitive learning theory in educational psychology. Bruner also made contributions is developmental psychology, language development, and legal psychology.
Robert M. Gagne, 1916-2002
Gagne's assumption is that different types of learning exist, and that different kinds of instructional conditions are most likely to bring about these different types of learning.
John B. Carroll, 1916-2003
John B. Carroll, American psychologist known for his development of the ‘Model for School Learning’ in which he challenged current notions of student aptitude and suggested that all children could learn well, but differed in the time they required to do so.
Herbert Simon, 1916-2001
He is recognized as one of the founding fathers of important scientific domains of the twentieth century. His research has ranged from computer science to psychology, administration, and economics, and philosophy. The thread of continuity through all his work has been his interest in human decision-making and problem solving processes, and the implications of these processes for social institutions.
George Armitage Miller, 1920-2012
Cognitive theorist that revolutionized the idea that learning started from the inside rather than the outside as behaviorist theories proposed.
Paulo Freire, 1921-1997
This Brazilian Educator developed Critical Pedogagy as a theory of education as liberatory praxis.
Jack Mezirow, 1923-2014
He was an American sociologist and a professor of Adult and Continuing Education at Teachers College and Columbia University.
Albert Bandura, 1925-present
Professor of Psychology at Stanford University. He coined the term Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and introduced it widely in 1986 with the publication of his book Social Foundations of Thought and Action: a Social Cognitive Theory.
Donald Broadbent, 1926-1993
He is best known for his contribution to the development of cognitive psychology and his book, Perception and Communication.
Lawrence Kolhberg, 1927-1987
The works of Jean Piaget inspired Kohlberg’s stages of moral development; Kohlberg’s stages explained the development of moral reasoning.
Noam Chomsky, 1928-present
Noam Chomsky is a widely published member of the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy, where he has been since 1955.
He had some revolutionary beliefs about language acquisition and grammar that changed the way we understand linguistics.
Ulric Neisser, 1928-2012
Ulric Neisser is a cognitive psychologist who taught at several universities during his lifetime.
Dr. Neisser is known as the Father of Cognitive Psychology and for good reason.
Donald Schon, 1930-1997
He was most noted for his work with organizational learning and extending John Dewey’s theory of experiential learning to real world messy situations.
Walter Mischel, 1930-present
Dr. Walter Mischel was born February 22, 1930 in Vienna, Austria and graduated with his Ph.D. from Ohio State in 1956. He is currently a professor of psychology at Columbia University. His research focuses on personality structure, process, and development as well as self-regulation. Dr. Mischel has published several research articles as well as books including his newest, The Marshmallow Test.
Ted L. Rosenthal, 1936-1994
He is known as a researcher and contributor in the area of SCT. A well-loved Professor and mentor, he taught at the University of Arizona, University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee.
Robert E. Haskell, 1938-2010
His work in the area of learning transfer spans a range of disciplines, including math, science, education, business, and psychology.
David Kolb, 1929-present
David Kolb is credited with developing the first formal experiential learning theory in 1984. This theory was explicitly based on the work of Jean Piaget, John Dewey and Kurt Lewin.
Howard Gardner, 1943-present
He is best known for his theory of Multiple Intelligences.
John Sweller, 1946-present
His work on Cognitive Load Theory, the limitations of working memory and how it impacts learning began in the early 1980's and continues today.
Robert Sternberg, 1949-present
Dr. Sternberg specialiizes in human development and is best known for his triarchic theory of intelligence.
Stephen Brookfield, 1949-present
He is a major thinker on criticality in adult education. His work includes consideration of critical theory, promotion of critical thinking, and being critically reflective. He currently serves at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis, MN.
George Siemens, 1964-present
George Siemens is an internationally known author, researcher, and theorist in the field of learning, knowledge management, and technology. He is recognized advancing the theory of Connectivism and is a pioneer in the development of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). Ironically, the foundation for his very technology-driven contributions to the learning community was laid in a Mennonite home with no newspapers, television, or radio. Explore more below!
Frank Pajares, ND - 2009
Professor at Emory University. He maintained a comprehensive website on self-efficacy, Albert Bandura, and SCT.
Dale B. Berger, ND - present
Professor of Psychology at Claremont Graduate University. His work in cognitive psychology has led to an emphasis in applied psychology in computer science and technology.
Dale Schunk, ND - present
Professor of Psychology at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro.
Barry Zimmerman, ND - present
Professor of Educational Psychology at the City University of New York. He is researcher and contributor to SCT, with focus on self-regulated learning and demonstrational teaching.