Educational Theories

Ashleigh Oorloff
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Sociocultural Theory
Vygotskys theory of human learning described as a social process
Social interaction plays a vital role in the development of cognition
Vygotsky believed everything is learned on two levels; firstly through
interaction with others and then integrated into the individuals mental
structure
Every function in the childs cultural development appears twice: first,
on the social level, and later, on the individual level; first, between
people (inter-psychological) and then inside the child (intra-
psychological). This applies equally to voluntary attention, to logical
memory, and to the formation of concepts. All the higher functions
originate as actual relationships between individuals (Vygotsky, 1978,
p. 57)
Also covered in this theory is the idea behind the Zone of Proximal
Development (ZPD)
This states that in any given learning situation, there exists an area of
exploration for which the student is cognitively prepared, but which
requires help and social interaction to fully develop (Briner, 1999)
Teachers or more experienced peers are able to offer a student
scaffolding in order to support the overall evolution of learning
taking place
Collaborative learning, discourse, modelling and scaffolding are
strategies for supporting the intellectual knowledge and skills of
learners and facilitating intentional learning
Constructivism
An offshoot of Vygotskys Sociocultural Theory,
Constructivism states that learning is an active,
constructive process
Those who abide by Constructivism as a theory believe
that learning occurs when people actively construct or
create their own subjective representations of objective
reality
New information is then linked to prior knowledge, thus
mental representations are subjective
Knowledge is constructed based on personal
experiences and various hypotheses of the surrounding
environment
These hypotheses are then tested via social interactions
(much as Sociocultural Theory suggests that we learn
through interactions with our peers)
Important contributors to this theory are (as mentioned
above) Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey and Bruner

Behaviourism
Behaviourism is the idea that all behaviour is
determined by the environment, either through
association with particular stimuli or by
reinforcement
This theory, though mostly discussed in psychology
circles, does have a place within education as it
offers explanations relating to an individuals
mental/behavioural state which otherwise may not
be thoroughly explored
Given that it is up to classroom teachers to discipline
individuals who may have underlying behavioural
issues, Skinners theory could be vitally important in
determining exactly what is causing a particular
individual to continually behave the way they do
Experiential Learning
This theory presented by Kolb (1984) states that
individuals learn through experience
This can be as a direct result of an institution (such
as preschools, primary schools, secondary schools
or universities) in which case the individuals are
given a chance to acquire and apply knowledge in a
relevant setting (encountering various stimuli as
they do so)
Experiential Learning can also occur via the
participation of an individual in the various events
of their life
The second method of Experiential Learning
mentioned above is the way that the vast majority of
people learn, as it involves reflection upon everyday
experiences
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs
Best described with the aid of
the diagram to the left, this
theory of human psychology
denotes what is considered by
Maslow to be essential needs
within human life
The first four levels are
considered to be deficiency or
depravation needs as without
these basic needs covered, Self-
Actualisation is impossible
Much like Skinners theory of
Behaviourism, Maslows
Hierarchy of Needs is largely a
psychological tool, but it does
have a place within education
due to the fact that certain
individuals we encounter in our
teaching may be deprived of the
fundamental needs mentioned
Bibliography
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php
URL_ID=26925&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SEC
TION=201.html
Various works by Vygotsky, Piaget, Dewey and
Bruner
B.F Skinner
David A. Kolb
Maslow
http://www.learning-theories.com/wp-
content/uploads/2007/03/maslows-
hierarchy-of-needs.jpg