*PSYCHOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF

EDUCATION; THE LEARNER AND

LEARNING PROCESS
*BASIC THEORIES OF LEARNING
*UNDERSTANDING GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
Psychology is the “science of mind and behavior”.

Silverman (1874) defines psychology as “the science that seeks

to describe and explain and on decision, to change the behaviour
of man and other animals.”

Education also means change in the behaviour of an individual.

Psychology is the most important of the foundations of
education. It plays pivotal role in the process of teaching
and learning. The psychology used specifically in
education is called educational psychology.
Thus Educational Psychology is an applied branch of
psychology that deals with the application of the principles of
general psychology to the problems of education. We can, in
more simple words, say that ‘educational psychology’, applies
knowledge to educational problems
 According to Pestalozzi the aim of education is the
harmonious natural and progressive development of the pupil.
To fulfill this aim the teacher must have an insight into the
working of the child’s mind. He must have the knowledge of
various stages of child’s life and their demands. He must know
how to make a maladjusted pupil well-adjusted.
 Therefore learning refers to a spectrum of changes that takes
place as result of one’s experiences. In other words, it may be
defined as any relatively permanent change in behaviour or
behavioural potential produced by an experience.
Some definitions of learning
Learning is the acquisition of new
behaviour or strengthening of old behaviour as
result of experience.
- Kingsley and Garrey.
The term learning covers every modification in
behaviour to meet environmental requirements
- Gardner Murphy
Learning is the process by which behaviour
is originated or changes through practice or
training - Kingsley and Garry
LEARNER
Learner is an embodied spirit.
He is the union of sentient body and soul.
His body experiences sensations and feels pleasure
and pain.
The learner is an active participant in the teaching
and learning activities.
Five elements of learner:
1. ABILITY
2. APTITUDE
3. INTEREST
4. FAMILY AND CULTURAL BACKGROUND
5. ATTITUDES
The learner’s responsibilities are:
1. To actively listen to others, think, make comments, discuss ideas, ask questions,
read, write, talk, observe and listen for understanding.
2. To respect others’ ideas, work to understand others’ points of view, encourage
others, learn from others, use, and build on ideas and opinions.
3. To contribute to learning of the group by using past experience and knowledge
and sharing information and relevant life experiences.
4. To do the best work possible in all course work by active participation, writing
tasks, pre-work (homework), individual study, contribution to class learning and
group work effectiveness.
5. To avoid relying on the instructor for learning—learning is an individual
responsibility
There are six interactive components of the learning
process: attention, memory, language, processing and
organizing, graphomotor (writing) and higher order thinking.
These processes interact not only with each other, but also with
emotions, classroom climate, behavior, social skills, teachers and
family.
Attention
Paying attention is the first step in learning anything. It is easy
for most of us to pay attention to things that are interesting or
exciting to us. It is difficult for most of us to pay attention to
things that are not.
Memory
Memory is the complex process that uses three systems to help a person
receive, use, store, and retrieve information. The three memory systems
are:
1. short-term memory
2. Working memory
3. Long-term memory
Language
Language is the primary means by which we give and receive information
in school. The two language processing systems
are expressive and receptive.
Organization
We process and organize information in two main
ways: simultaneous (spatial) and successive (sequential).
Graphomotor
The writing process requires neural, visual, and muscular coordination to
produce written work. It is not an act of will but rather an act of
coordination among those functions.
Higher Order Thinking
Higher order thinking (HOT) is more than memorizing facts or
relating information in exactly the same words as the teacher or
book expresses it.
Psychologist Robert Sternberg lists six components of mental self-
management:
1. Know your strengths and weaknesses.
2. Capitalize on your strengths and compensate for your weaknesses.
3. Defy negative expectations.
4. Believe in yourself (self-efficacy).
5. Seek out role models.
6. Seek out an environment where you can make a difference.
BASIC LEARNING
THEORIES
 COGNITIVE LEARNING THEORY

Cognitive learning theory looks at the way people think. Mental processes

are an important part in understanding how we learn. The cognitive theory
understands that learners can be influenced by both internal and external
elements.
Plato and Descartes are two of the first philosophers that focused on
cognition and how we as human beings think.
Piaget is a highly important figure in the field of cognitive psychology,
and his work focuses on environments and internal structures and how
they impact learning.
Cognitive learning theory of Piaget Piaget had profound interest
in epistemology – branch of philosophy concerned with nature
of knowledge.
 CONSTRUCTIVIST PRINCIPLES OF
LEARNING
· Learning is an active process in which the learner uses sensory input and
constructs meaning out of it.
· People learn to learn as they learn
 The crucial action of constructing meaning is mental
· Learning involves language Learning is a social activity  Learning is
contextual
· One needs knowledge to learn
 It takes time to learn
 Motivation is a key component in learning
 BEHAVIORISM LEARNING THEORY

Behaviorism learning theory is the idea that how a student

behaves is based on their interaction with their environment. It
suggests that behaviors are influenced and learned from external
forces rather than internal forces.
Positive reinforcement is a popular element of behaviorism—
classical conditioning observed in Pavlov’s dog experiments
suggests that behaviors are directly motivated by the reward that
can be obtained. 
 CONSTRUCTIVISM LEARNING THE
ORY
Constructivism learning theory is based on the idea that students actually
create their own learning based on their previous experiences. Students
take what they’re being taught and add it to their previous knowledge and
experiences, creating a reality that’s unique to  them. This learning theory
focuses on learning as an active process, which is personal and individual
for each student. 
Vygotsky’s Constructivism Vygotsky, known for his theory of social
constructivism, believes that learning and development is a collaborative
activity and that children are cognitively developed in the context of
socialization and education.
 HUMANISM LEARNING THEORY

• Humanism Learning Theory

• Humanism is very closely related to constructivism. Humanism directly
focuses on the idea of self-actualization. Everyone functions under a
hierarchy of needs.
Carl Rogers (1902-1987) was a humanistic psychologist who agreed with
the main assumptions of Abraham Maslow, but added that for a person to
"grow", they need an environment that provides them with genuineness
(openness and self-disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional
positive regard), and empathy (being listened to and understood).
 CONNECTIVISM LEARNING
THEORY
• Connectivism Learning Theory
• Connectivism is one of the newest educational learning theories. It
focuses on the idea that people learn and grow when they form
connections. This can be connections with each other or connections
with their roles and obligations in their lives.
UNDERSTANDING GROWTH AND
DEVELOPMENT
Growth- essentially refers to quantitative changes in an
individual as he progresses in chronological age. It may
refer to increase in size, height or weight.
Hurlock (1978:23) considers growth as referring to
quantitative changes and development, to qualitative
changes
Development- It is the progressive series of changes of an
orderly and coherent type leading to the individual’s
maturation.
Development is a process that produces a progressive
series of changes that are orderly and coherent and which
lead to, and end with, maturity (Hurlock, 1978:22).
Two general factors influence human development; namely:
1) maturation or natural growth resulting from heredity; and
2) environmental influences in and thorough which growing
takes place.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING….