How people learn

I found this pdf file with a title: How people learn: Introduction to learning theory.

Below are the excerpts taken from the article.
How people learn was presented in three viewpoints: Philosophers, Psychologist and Educators.

Philosophers' viewpoint:

• Plato developed the belief that knowledge and truth can be discovered by self-reflection.
  
• Socrates also believed strongly that certain knowledge was only attainable through reason.
• Kant (1724–1804) refined and modernized Plato’s rationalist theory when he suggested that awareness of knowledge may begin with experience, but much knowledge exists prior to experience.

Psychologists' viewpoint:

1. Behaviourist
   

• Thorndike believed that learning was based on an association between sense impressions and an impulse to action. Thorndike favored students’ active learning and sought to structure the environment to ensure certain stimuli that would “produce” learning (Hilgard & Bower, 1975).
• B. F. Skinner behaviourist learning theory focuses on stimulus and response. He considered learning to be the production of desired behaviour and denied any influence of mental processes.

2. Cognitivist cum constructivist

• Jean Piaget recognized that students construct knowledge Based on their experiences.
• Vygotsky extended Piaget's theory and emphasized that learning occurs in a cultural context and involves social interaction.

The article summed up that research has found that

*the brain plays a role in learning,
• the way the learning environment is constructed makes a difference,
• learning is based on the associations or connections we make,
• learning occurs in particular social and cultural environments, and finally,
• the different ways people think and feel about their own learning affects their development as learners.

I definitely agree that the five factors above play important roles in the process of learning. Teachers need to understand how learners learn best in order to be able to design meaningful instructions which suit best different types of learners. Having good brain without conducive environment for the learners to learn will disappoint learners and this condition will contribute to unhealthy attitude of the learners. Unhealthy attitude here refers to students behaviour of not wanting to learn, hating certain subjects or teachers or going to school to hang out with friends.

Students learn best when they are able to relate what they learn with past experiences and apply them in a real environment or in a true context of their life. That is why school environment plays a very important role towards students' achievements.

People used to say 'Schools everywhere are just the same. It is up to the students to learn. If the student has good brain, he could excel no matter where he learns'. As a teacher of 19 years and as a mother of 5 school going children, I disagree with the opinion above. The environment of the school, the dedicated teachers, the working culture of the school definitely play important roles in determining the students' success. I do not know if others agree, but to me as a mother I want the best for my children and I would give the best to my students as if they are my own. After all I believe what goes round comes round...