Learning Theories in ECE

What 3 areas of development are of critical importance in how we support the whole child?

• Nutrition, Games, Art

• Physical-motor, cognitive, and affective development

• Outdoor, Indoor, and Home environments

Answer explanation

Physical development includes how we move our large and small muscles.

Cognitive development refers to the development of thinking across the lifespan.

Affective development includes our emotions & social interactions

One theory can exclusively explain everything about a child's development

• True

• False

Answer explanation

No one theory exclusively explains everything about a child’s development.

Each theory focuses on a different aspect of human development.

There are many different learning theories that have been modified over time by a numerous number of theorists.

Theorist who side with ____ propose that development stems from innate genetics or heredity.

• Attachment

• Nature

• Cognitive development

• Nurture

Theorist who side with _____ claim that it is the physical and temporal experiences or environment that shapes and influence our development.

• Information Processing

• Nature

• Ethology

• Nurture

Answer explanation

Keep in mind that many experts feel it is no longer an “either nature OR nurture” debate but rather a matter of degree; which influences development more?

Maturation is where

• The id, ego, and super ego live.

• We have basic and growth needs.

• Growth and development occur in orderly stages and sequence.

• Personality develops in eight stages throughout a life time.

Answer explanation

There are “typical” ages and stages

_____ growth and development is a slow and _____ transition that occurs over time.

• discontinuous, heavy

• continuous, gradual

• ecological, staged

Answer explanation

Some researchers see development as a continuous gradual process, much like a maple tree growing steadily in height and cross-sectional area.

_____ growth and development suggest that we become different organisms altogether as we transition from one stage of development to another.

• discontinuous

• biological

• cognitive

• constructivist

Answer explanation

Some researchers see development as a progression of discontinuous stages, involving rapid discontinuous changes, such as those in the life cycle of a ladybug, separated by longer periods of slow, gradual change.

 

Which of these is NOT a theory of learning?

• Behaviorism

• Social Learning Theory

• Constructivism

• Cognasism

Answer explanation

https://www.educationcorner.com/learning-theories-in-education/

In _____, learning is gradual and continuous; development is a sequence of specific conditional behaviors.

• Behaviorism

• information processing

• Cognitivism

• Constructivism

Answer explanation

Behaviorism

It is believed that learning is a process of reacting to a stimuli

The main focus of behaviorist theorists was behavior that they could actually observe

They believed that rewards, punishments, and stimuli were responsible for how learning took place

In _____, there are qualitative (measurable) changes in the way children think. The child is considered an active learner going through stages.

• Behaviorism

• information processing

• Cognitivism

• Constructivism

Answer explanation

Cognitivism

This learning theory takes in to account that the human mind doesn't just accept and take in information, but that the information is thought about and processed differently for each person.

This theory highlights the need for human participation in order to actually learn.

This theory focused a lot on what we know as memory.