Facilitating Learner-Centered Teaching:

The Learner-Centered Approaches with Emphasis on

Trainers’ Methodology I

Reference:
Facilitating Learning: A Metacognitive Process 4th Edition
by Maria Rita D. Lucas and Brenda B. Corpuz
• describe the different gestalt principles.
• list ways of applying gestalt psychology in
the teaching-learning process.
• demonstrate appreciation of the
usefulness of gestalt principles in the
teaching-learning process.
 Gestalt Psychology

Gestalt Principles Insight Learning Life space

Law of Proximity Inner Forces

Law of Closure Outer Forces

Law of
Good Continuation
Law of
Good Pragnanz
Law of
Figure/Ground
Gestalt means
“form” or
“configuration.”
“The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.”
 Factors like past
experiences, needs,
attitudes, and one’s
personal situation can
affect one’s perception.
 Gestalt Psychology

Gestalt Principles Insight Learning Life space

Law of Proximity Inner Forces

Law of Closure Outer Forces

Law of
Good Continuation
Law of
Good Pragnanz
Law of
Figure/Ground
 Elements that are
closer together will be
perceived as a
coherent object.
 Elements that look
similar will be
perceived as part of
the same form.
 We tend to fill the gaps or
“close” the figures we
perceive. We enclose a
space by completing a
contour and ignoring gaps in
the figure.
Individuals have the tendency to
continue contours whenever the
elements of the pattern establish
an implied direction. People tend
to draw a good continuous line.
 The stimulus will be
organized into as good as
figure as possible. Good
refers to symmetry, simplicity,
and regularity.
 We tend to pay attention
and perceive things in the
foreground first. A stimulus
will be perceived as
separate from its ground.
 Gestalt Psychology

Gestalt Principles Insight Learning Life space

Law of Proximity Inner Forces

Law of Closure Outer Forces

Law of
Good Continuation
Law of
Good Pragnanz
Law of
Figure/Ground
 The important aspect of learning
is not reinforcement, but the
coordination of thinking to create
new organizations (of materials).
Kohler referred to this behavior as
insight or discovery learning.
 Learning could occur when the individual
perceives the relationships of the elements
before him and reorganizes these elements
and comes to a greater understanding or
insight. This could occur without
reinforcement, and once it occurs, no
review, training, or investigation necessary.
Significantly, insight is not necessarily
observable by another person.
 Gestalt Psychology

Gestalt Principles Insight Learning Life Space

Law of Proximity Inner Forces

Law of Closure Outer Forces

Law of
Good Continuation
Law of
Good Pragnanz
Law of
Figure/Ground
Gestalt Psychology

Life Space

Inner Forces

Motivation

Attitude

Feelings

Outer Forces

Attitude/behavior
of Teacher
Attitude/behavior
of Classmate
- The here and now.
- Life space of teachers and students.
- Complexity of experience.
- Experience is a source of learning.
- Affections and meaning.
- Origination and rearrangement of
information according to needs,
purposes and meaning.
- Learning is remodeling or insight.
- Autonomy and freedom of the
student is stimulated by the teacher.
- Contact between teacher and
student is valuable.
- authentic meeting based on sharing
of ideas and affections.
 Gestalt Psychology

Gestalt Principles Insight Learning Life space

Law of Proximity Inner Forces

Law of Closure Outer Forces

Law of
Good Continuation
Law of
Good Pragnanz
Law of
Figure/Ground
• describe the different gestalt principles.
• list ways of applying gestalt psychology in
the teaching-learning process.
• demonstrate appreciation of the
usefulness of gestalt principles in the
teaching-learning process.
 Activity
Identify the gestalt principle applied in each of the ff:
1. The teacher relates a new topic with something he
student already knows.
2. Topics with commonalities are taught next to each
other.
3. He most important words in the paragraph are written
in bolder fonts.
4. The teacher slows down her pace and varies her tone of
voice to emphasize a point.
5. Teachers remind children to keep their numbers in
straight columns when doing math operations.