Key Educational Learning Theories Compared
Comparing Major Educational Learning Theories
Behavioral Theory (B.F. Skinner)
- Education: Gradually shapes behavior through stimuli and reinforcement.
- Learning: The result of stimulus-response relationships and the application of various reinforcements.
- Objectives: Must be detailed and express observable behaviors expected from learning.
- Strategies: Material is organized in small steps, using reinforcements to actively and successfully engage the learner.
- Teacher’s Role: Focuses on shaping behavior and
Understanding the Boundaries of Scientific Knowledge
The Limits of Scientific Knowledge
The progress of science and technology are limited activities, both in their explanatory power and their ability to contribute to human progress. True scientific knowledge is characterized by being open (taking into account all possibilities), cautious (not claiming more than what is known), and critical.
Popper’s proper methodology emphasizes the inherently non-verifiable nature of scientific knowledge. He argued that a hypothesis can only be considered scientifically
Read MoreUnderstanding Scientific Concepts and Methods
Scientific Terms and Methods
Key Scientific Terms
Scientific Law
Scientific Law: A statement expressing universal constant relations between natural phenomena or events, whose truth has been sufficiently proved by experience and observation.
Scientific Theory
Scientific Theory: A set of statements that can systematically compute or contrast, making possible the explanation and prediction of natural phenomena.
Hypothesis
Hypothesis: A supposition or assumption made in order to explain something.
Paradigm
Paradigm:
Read MoreDescartes’ Philosophical Method and Doubt
Descartes’ Method of Reason
There are two ways of knowing: intuition and deduction. Intuition, as defined by Descartes, is not the fluctuating testimony of the senses, but the conception of a pure and attentive mind, arising from the light of reason, leading to simple, absolutely true knowledge. Deduction is defined as any necessary inference from other facts known with certainty. Intelligence discovers connections through inference. The inspiration for this method is clearly Cartesian mathematics.
Read MoreEffective Teaching Methodologies and Core Competencies
Methodology: Concepts and Types
Defining Methodology
- A description of a process.
- A way to arrive somewhere.
- A system which comprises some principles, practices, and procedures.
- Includes methods, techniques, and procedures.
- Answers the question, “How do I teach?”
- Etc.
Classifications of Teaching Methodologies
By Student Participation
ACTIVE: Students are involved, research, create, build.
PASSIVE: Students are directed in all their actions.
By Adaptation Level
COLLECTIVE EDUCATION: The teacher teaches to
Read MoreIntegrating Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods
Organization for Triangulation
Triangulation, specifically methodological triangulation, is the possibility of gaining deeper knowledge of a social reality through the use of two or more methods.
The triangulation of research techniques, particularly when combining quantitative and qualitative practices, moves beyond viewing reality through a single lens. The concept of triangulation suggests that research techniques are not simply interchangeable. Their joint use is not merely about expanding perspectives
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