DTTLS/1057 Attitudes to learning
TETA 1057
This essay aims to evaluate the main ideas and principles of learning in relation to Attitudes to learning, with specific focus on the Humanistic theory.
Cognitive development is ‘the development of perception, memory, language, concepts, thinking, problem solving, metacognition, and social cognition’ (Kuhn 2013). There are a number of relevant and contrasting theories relating to cognitive development, however for the purpose of this assignment I will focus on the Humanistic theory, which when linked with attitudes to learning, is relevant to the methods I employ when delivering teaching.
The concept of the Humanist theory is that the student will learn best when they are in an environment specifically structured to enable that learning and that the teacher is there to enable the learning process rather than a driving force behind a prescriptive set of regulations. This is summarised by Laird (1995) who suggests that ‘ the basic premise of this theory is that learning will occur by the educator acting as a facilitator, that is by establishing an atmosphere in which learners feel comfortable to consider new ideas and are not threatened by external factors’
Laird is not alone in his theory of cognitive development, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Maria Montessori, Malcolm Knowles, John Holt, Jerome Bruner and Kolb all ascribe to theory of facilitation as key to the learning process, although not completely indicative of the learning process on its own.
This theory of cognitive development can be seen working alongside theories of learning from Piaget, Vygotsky and other constructivist thinkers as well as theory of memory skills, motivation and learning styles. This theory can also be seen as an underlying principle for theorists such as Mezirow and Freire.
When considering the impact of developing a teaching environment which supports the humanistic approach to learning we must take consideration of not only the learners developmental
This essay aims to evaluate the main ideas and principles of learning in relation to Attitudes to learning, with specific focus on the Humanistic theory.
Cognitive development is ‘the development of perception, memory, language, concepts, thinking, problem solving, metacognition, and social cognition’ (Kuhn 2013). There are a number of relevant and contrasting theories relating to cognitive development, however for the purpose of this assignment I will focus on the Humanistic theory, which when linked with attitudes to learning, is relevant to the methods I employ when delivering teaching.
The concept of the Humanist theory is that the student will learn best when they are in an environment specifically structured to enable that learning and that the teacher is there to enable the learning process rather than a driving force behind a prescriptive set of regulations. This is summarised by Laird (1995) who suggests that ‘ the basic premise of this theory is that learning will occur by the educator acting as a facilitator, that is by establishing an atmosphere in which learners feel comfortable to consider new ideas and are not threatened by external factors’
Laird is not alone in his theory of cognitive development, Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow, Maria Montessori, Malcolm Knowles, John Holt, Jerome Bruner and Kolb all ascribe to theory of facilitation as key to the learning process, although not completely indicative of the learning process on its own.
This theory of cognitive development can be seen working alongside theories of learning from Piaget, Vygotsky and other constructivist thinkers as well as theory of memory skills, motivation and learning styles. This theory can also be seen as an underlying principle for theorists such as Mezirow and Freire.
When considering the impact of developing a teaching environment which supports the humanistic approach to learning we must take consideration of not only the learners developmental
References: Froebel. F http://www.froebelweb.org Kuhn. D (2013) http://www.journals.elsevier.com/cognitive-development/ Laird (1995) cited in Maslow, A. H. (1943). A Theory of Human Motivation. Psychological Review, 50(4), 370-96. The Montessori Method by Maria Montessori (1870-1952). Translated by Anne Everett George (1882-). New York: Frederick A. Stokes Company, 1912 Ofsted (2009) A focus on improvement: proposals for further education and skills system inspections from September 2009 http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=4&ved=0CD8QFjAD&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.adcs.org.uk%2Fdownload%2Fconsultation-responses%2Fjanuary-09%2FADCS-cr-A-focus-on-improvement-proposals-for-further-education-and-skills-system-inspections.doc&ei=otObUY3tEeWM7QaR_YG4BQ&usg=AFQjCNFRaNx-RExR6Ri0Cf1BV8GRb5n6gg&bvm=bv.46751780,d.ZGU