Learning Philosophy

The importance of a Learning Philosophy

Personal beliefs, values, and understanding about learning influence teaching. But where do these beliefs, values, and understandings come from? Without an examination of how learning occurs and our attitude towards learning, how do we know we’re making the best instructional decisions? “Learning how to teach involves learning what to in specific situations” (Schunk, 2012, p. 20). Having a clear understanding of learning theories provides a framework for putting your experiences into context and building your teaching practice.

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My Learning

“Learning is an enduring change in behavior, or in the capacity to behave in a given fashion, which results from practice or other forms of experience” (Schunk, 2012, p. 3).

I have long believed that learning is about doing, thinking, and talking, and not just about filling my head with information. The idea that learning is an ongoing process and that we need different experiences to help us learn became painfully clear to me in my high school geometry class. In my educational career, up until then, I had always been an A+ student. I was able to “learn” information easily and produce quality output for my teachers. But something went wrong in geometry. I wasn’t “getting” what my teacher was telling me. I couldn’t make sense of the shapes and figures on the board with their angles and points and vertices. No matter how hard I tried, or how many times the teacher gave me the same explanation, or how many tears I shed at the kitchen table trying to complete my homework, I didn’t get it. What was wrong with me?! The information never stuck, and I barely passed the class. I consigned myself to not being “a math person.” I avoided math like the plague after that! I took the absolute minimal number of math courses that were required for graduation. I continued to struggle with math and squeaked by with barely passing grades. This trend continued in college until I was no longer able to avoid calculus. I entered that class with such dread. I’m going to fail this course. Then what? I’ll need to take a developmental course and I won’t pass that either. Then I’ll be stuck… My thoughts spiraled out of control. But something amazing happened. I didn’t have to sit, take notes, and figure this stuff out on my own. We had props (what I thought they were then), we had demonstrations, we had discussions, oh my! The light bulb started to flicker. The different methods the instructor used and my study group helped me learn and understand the math. I wasn’t lost, I wasn’t pretending to know, and I didn’t just skate by. Maybe there was nothing wrong with me after all. What a relief!

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What I understand now is that the variety of methods the instructor used, from the interactive demonstrations to the class projects and peer collaboration all contributed to a learning experience that helped me to take in and make sense of what I was learning. I couldn’t just memorize math and regurgitate what I memorized. I needed different scenarios to make meaningful connections, I needed to “touch” math to make sense of it, to fill in gaps, and build my understanding of it.

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Learning Theories

To get a better understanding of how my learning and my beliefs about learning have evolved, and how this might influence my teaching, I recently delved into learning theories. Much of my research yielded results focused on behaviorism, constructivism, and cognitivism. As Schunk forewarned, there was one theory that I liked better than the others, but it didn’t account for everything that I knew and believed about learning (2012). I learned that there is not one theory that works for all learners in all situations. It is more helpful to reflect on what I believe about learning and what types of learning I’m interested in, and then borrow what I like best from each theory to create a more comprehensive framework (Schunk, 2012). There are useful applications of each theory to learning and teaching.

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Behaviorism is interested in observable behavior and the conditions needed to produce a desired behavior. According to the theory of behaviorism, learners are passive, respond to stimuli, and learning involves forming associations between stimuli and responses (Learning Project Team of HKU, 2018). I believe most learning is more complex than that; however, behaviorism is useful in terms of deliberate practice and habit formation (Schunk, 2012). Drill and practice exercises are certainly useful for memorization – there are just some things a student “has to know.” And from a classroom management perspective, there is a certain amount of conditioning that I use to reward desired behavior and discourage improper behavior. B.F. Skinner was influential in creating the positive and negative reinforcements we are most familiar with.

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Cognitive learning theory is all about the brain. Cognitivism focuses on how the brain processes information and how learning occurs through that internal processing (Bates, 2019). Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development states that children develop through a series of stages, and their intelligence changes as they grow (Mcleod, 2020). Additionally, the rate at which a child passes through each stage varies from child to child. For me, the application of this theory to teaching is significant – all learners do not learn at the same rate. An understanding of Piaget’s concepts of assimilation, accommodation, and equilibrium is beneficial in helping learners make sense of new information. Prior knowledge, or lack thereof, and misconceptions vary from student to student, and its important to take this into account when choosing teaching strategies.

Cognitive theories focus on the learner and the manner in which they try to interpret the environment through their thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes. “Learners who doubt their capabilities to learn may not properly attend to the task or may work halfheartedly on it, which retards learning” (Schunk, 2012, p. 22). Sounds familiar!

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Constructivism is a learning theory that states learners construct their knowledge through experiences and build on their prior knowledge (Constructivism 2020). Rather than learning by passively taking in information, understanding must come from making meaningful connections.

Cognitive constructivism is based on the work of Jean Piaget, while social constructivism is based on the work of Lev Vygotsky. Cognitive constructivism states knowledge is something that is actively constructed by learners based on their existing cognitive structures. Therefore, learning is relative to their stage of cognitive development (Schunk, 2012). Learning changes as children grow. Social constructivism states learning is a collaborative process, and knowledge develops from individuals' interactions with their culture and society.

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I don’t believe one is better than the other. From my experience as a learner, and a teacher, it is important to pull from several theories depending on the learner’s needs and interests. To be effective, useful, and enduring, Ertmer and Newby state, “learning must include all three of these crucial factors:  activity (practice), concept (knowledge), and culture (context)” (2013, p. 56). These concepts are embodied in behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism.

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My Learning Philosophy

In order to create life-long learners, we need to help students develop the skills to learn how to learn. To develop the critical thinking skills that are essential in this digital age, students need a learning approach that actively involves them in examining, discussing, and applying skills in the classroom. Furthermore, we need to help prepare our students to manage their own learning throughout life.

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In addition to classroom management strategies, I believe behaviorism can be used in the classroom to help students develop effective study habits. I employ goal setting and pacing strategies with my students to help them understand the benefits of preparation, and that these skills are useful in other parts of their life, especially their jobs.

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Incorporating cognitivism and constructivism into my learning approach creates a learner-centered environment. A leaner-centered perspective focuses on the learner's needs - what they need to take in new information, put it into context and make sense of it, and the application of that knowledge to develop skills.

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I believe that learner motivation is just as important as their learning needs. Helping students take ownership of their learning by promoting autonomy, mastery, and purpose drives their motivation (Pink, 2010). In a learner-centered environment, the role of the teacher needs to change from someone who simply delivers knowledge to a designer, a coach, and a guide. As a student gains agency in their learning, there is a collaboration between the teacher and the student with negotiation over content and methods. The teacher serves as a tour guide, identifying where students are at and what tools and resources will serve their skills and interests (Pull, 2014). The teacher’s role is a facilitator of learning with a focus on developing and supporting student autonomy.

Focus on the Learning

Through my innovation plan, my goal is to create a culture of learning at my school where teachers hold high expectations and collaborate with students to meet those expectations. Rather than make excuses for why students cannot learn, I want to find ways to help students learn despite the socio-economic hurdles in their way. I want to help students take ownership of their learning and create their desired path of discovery. I envision a classroom that looks more like a workshop. Armed with a leaner mindset, students are doing, thinking, and thriving in the process of learning.