Behavioural and Constructivist theory in relation to learning
Education Studies Assignment
Within this assignment I am going to discuss Behavioural and Constructivist theory in relation to learning, drawing attention to my own experiences as a practitioner and learner. I will draw attention to their relationship to the Early Years Foundation Stage and will attempt to explain the importance of play in relation to these concepts. This will lead me to discuss the role of the practitioner both in keeping up with current legislation and initiatives and incorporating these concepts into planning and assessment. I will relate this to my own experiences and pedagogy and reflect on the importance of being a 'Reflective Practitioner' and what that entails.
Behavioural Theorists believe that genetics and intelligence have no part to play in the construction of a human being's mind, but rather that its construction is solely due to our life experiences (Potter, 2003). This view inspires an unprejudiced view of others and entails a society where anyone can achieve anything, given the correct upbringing and a specific set of opportunities. Behaviourist theory was central to learning theory right up until the 1960's and its influence is still apparent in schools today.
Behavioural theory suggests that psychology shouldn't use words such as 'feeling' or 'mood' to investigate the human mind, but should, instead, focus on what can be observed from the subject externally. Due to the complex ethics involved in human 'experimentation' many Behavioural Theorists gathered their external observations through experiments on animals. One of the first Behaviourists to do so was Pavlov. His work involved study into 'Classical Conditioning' which explores the relationship between stimulus and response or 'reflex.' Through his experiments with dogs Pavlov determined that:
...Differential association of a neutral event with one which reliably elicits an unconditioned response leads to the development of a conditioned response to the
Within this assignment I am going to discuss Behavioural and Constructivist theory in relation to learning, drawing attention to my own experiences as a practitioner and learner. I will draw attention to their relationship to the Early Years Foundation Stage and will attempt to explain the importance of play in relation to these concepts. This will lead me to discuss the role of the practitioner both in keeping up with current legislation and initiatives and incorporating these concepts into planning and assessment. I will relate this to my own experiences and pedagogy and reflect on the importance of being a 'Reflective Practitioner' and what that entails.
Behavioural Theorists believe that genetics and intelligence have no part to play in the construction of a human being's mind, but rather that its construction is solely due to our life experiences (Potter, 2003). This view inspires an unprejudiced view of others and entails a society where anyone can achieve anything, given the correct upbringing and a specific set of opportunities. Behaviourist theory was central to learning theory right up until the 1960's and its influence is still apparent in schools today.
Behavioural theory suggests that psychology shouldn't use words such as 'feeling' or 'mood' to investigate the human mind, but should, instead, focus on what can be observed from the subject externally. Due to the complex ethics involved in human 'experimentation' many Behavioural Theorists gathered their external observations through experiments on animals. One of the first Behaviourists to do so was Pavlov. His work involved study into 'Classical Conditioning' which explores the relationship between stimulus and response or 'reflex.' Through his experiments with dogs Pavlov determined that:
...Differential association of a neutral event with one which reliably elicits an unconditioned response leads to the development of a conditioned response to the