THEORIES OF LEARNING

Theories of Learning



Theories of Learning

Albert Bandura

Albert Bandura is one of the key theorists in the behavioral/social personality school of thought. In order to understand how and where his ideas came from, it is important to understand his background. Albert Bandura was born in 1925 in Mundane, Alberta, Canada to immigrant parents. His parents had no formal education, but put much enfaces on attaining an education. Both of his parents were hard workers, using mainly their hands to turn their new homestead into a tillable farm. Bandura has been known to speak of how this early pioneering life was a tough struggle for his parents. Bandura also discusses how the Great Depression took a toll on his fathers fun loving spirit, but through laborious efforts his father added further sections to their farm which brought the family more money.

A) Major Theoretical Concepts

The Social Learning Theory of Bandura emphasises the importance of observing and modelling the behaviours, attitudes and emotional reactions of others. The Social Learning Theory explains human behaviour in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioural, an environmental influences, suggesting that behaviour can be learned at the cognitive level through observing other people's actions. (Blackburn, 1993) This suggests that people are capable of imagining themselves in similar situations, and of incurring similar outcomes. Once the behaviour is learned it may be reinforced or punished by the consequences it generates.

Bandura's Social Learning Theory examines the way a person behaves is dependant on how the personal, behavioural, observational and environmental factors interact and how they affect the learning process. Paul's characteristics have been primarily instigated through observation of his family, his peers and his social environments.

B) Obervational Learning

Obervational learning theory focuses on learning that occurs within a social context. It considers that people learn from one another and includes such concepts as observational learning, imitation and modelling. Albert Bandura is considered the leading proponent of this theory.

Obervational learning theory is in part an extension on operant principles with the most notable difference being the role of cognition. Obervational learning theory holds that behaviour can not only be learnt through direct experience with reinforcements or punishments but also through observation of the behaviour of other people.

In brief Obervational learning theory suggests that through observation of others- especially those we hold in esteem, people can learn at a cognitive level how to imitate the observed behaviour.

C) Social Cognitive Theory Jean Piaget

Piaget's theories developed from the basis that, 'thought arises from action, '(Small) or nature is dominant over nurture. Piaget proves this in his stages of cognitive development, the first of which is the sensorimotor stage. The sensorimotor stage lasts form birth until two years of life. During this period, 'the infant's movements, physical and intellectual lack precision and her activities and attention are dominated by external stimulation' (Sigel & Cocking). Piaget viewed this as a purely physical stage in which children depend almost totally on their physical senses: sight, taste, touch, and ...