"A learning theory is a systematic integrated outlook in regard to the nature of the process whereby people relate to their environments in such a way as to enhance their ability to use both themselves and their environments in a most effective way." (Bigge and Shermis, 1999) Bigge and Shermis (1999) explains that since the 17th century phycologists have been working on developing systematic learning theories supported by experimentation. During this period new theories of learning have emerged periodically to challenge or support the existing theories. In recent years educational phycologists have been looking in to problems relevant to cognitive, perceptual, coding, memory, psycholinguistic and motivational processes that are within prevailing theories of …show more content…
McLeod (2015) defines a schema as "a cohesive, repeatable action sequence possessing component actions that are tightly interconnected and governed by a core meaning". McLeod simplifies this definition to a schema is the basic building block of intelligent behaviour and a way of organising data. Mcleod then states that Piaget viewed intellectual growth as a process of adaptation to the world, through assimilation (using an existing schema to deal with a new situation), accommodation (changing an existing schema to deal with a new situation) and equilibration (the force which moves the learning process along). Mcleod (2015) also explains that Piaget believed that children go through 4 universal stages of cognitive development and that each child goes through the stages in the same order and no stage can be missed out. The stages are sensorimotor (0-2yrs), preoperational (2-7yrs), concrete(7-11yrs) and formal operational (11yrs+). Learning-theories.com (2015) explains that the cognitive theory views the learner as an information processor like a