Chapter 3 Learning

Theory

Here we get three very different perspectives: behaviourism, cognitive and sociocultural.

Each of them has different definitions of learning, and each provides different insights into the same issues. Some of these are conflicting, some co-exist and some are complementary. Each has arisen from its own tradition and may be either "objective" or "subjective".

They are all useful in education.

Method

Broadly, the following shows the relationship between each perspective and its methodology, although it is not as rigid as this suggests:

• Behaviourism — Comparative
• Cognitive — Experimental
• Sociocultural — Observational

Themes

As far as "humanness" is concerned, the following is pretty much the case:

• Behaviourism — Not interested, we learn just the same as any other animal (pigeons and rats are perfectly good learning models for humans).
• Cognitive — In some respects, humans are different from other species, but in others we're just spongy computers really.
• Sociocultural — Definitely human, either as unique species or as unique individuals.

All interested in short term change.

As far as the nature/nurture debate is concerned, they all believe that nurture plays a part to a greater or lesser extent (or else we'd never learn anything)

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