Learning Theories Summary
Introduction
The two theories of learning that are examined in this paper are behaviorism and constructivism. The supporters of the behaviorism theory supposed that “only observable, measurable, outward behavior is worthy of scientific inquiry” (Bush, 2006, p. 14). Therefore, the primary focus of the behaviorists was aimed towards learning and the ways in which it was impacted by the deviations in behavior. They determined that taking into consideration the appropriate environmental effects, each learner obtains same perception of certain information and that each student has an equal opportunity to learn. In comparison to the principles of behaviorism, the followers of the constructivism learning theory regarded learning as a pursuit for sense. They assumed that knowledge is created by the learner; moreover, the learning theory of constructivism implies that the learner cultivates her/his individual perception with the help of the particular experience.
Method
This research paper used an extensive literature assessment on the subject of the learning theories in nursing. The research focused on the studies of behaviorism and constructivism. Taking into consideration various standpoints that are voiced by psychotherapists and educationalists who support their preferred theories of learning to advance the accomplishments of the students, the educationalists have the overwhelming duty to determine the ways to plan the guidelines and improve the core curriculum, which will encourage student learning in a modern, socially and linguistically assorted general public. The research will present the overview of these theories, their strong and weak points and their implication in nursing practice.
Discussion
Summarization of the Purpose of Each Theory
Psychology was acknowledged as an accepted discipline in the second half of the 19th century and was described as the study of consciousness. According to a research ‘Control: A history of behavioral psychology’ by John A. Mills, “behaviorism was, and is, a moment primarily in American psychology that rejected consciousness as psychology’s subject matter and replaced it with behavior” (Leahey, 2000, p. 686). Behaviorism is defined as a methodical approach towards the perception of human and animal behavior. This learning theory implies that each behavior are demonstrated either by the responses generated by a reaction to particular incentives in the surroundings, or by the outcomes of that individual's past accounts, in conjunction with, for the most part, reinforcement and penalties, in addition to the individual's existing motivational situation and guiding incentives. As a result, in spite of the fact that the supporters of the behaviorism usually agree with the significant part of the genetic predispositions in the formation of behavior, they aim their attention mostly on environmental aspects of behavior.
The learning theory of constructivism emerged from the wide-ranging research on the subject of cognitive development. The followers of this learning theory assume that kids develop knowledge through active participation in their learning. On the other hand, Jean Piaget, who was a noticeable theorist of constructivism, considered that cognitive development was a creation of the psyche, which was attained with the …
