Understanding Learning: Two Different Views

Learning is a big topic in psychology, and there are two main ways to look at it: behavioral psychology and cognitive psychology. Each has its own ideas about how we learn, and both have their challenges.

Behavioral Psychology

1. Focus on What We Can See:

   • Behavioral psychology looks at actions we can see, not what happens in our minds.
   • This means it might miss out on important things like memory and how we solve problems.
   • Challenge: By only focusing on visible actions, it can ignore feelings and motivation, which are really important for learning.

2. Using Rewards and Consequences:

   • This approach uses rewards (like praise) and punishments (like losing a privilege) to change behavior.
   • While this can work sometimes, it doesn’t always consider that everyone learns differently and each situation is unique.
   • Challenge: Relying too much on outside rewards can make it harder for students to learn on their own and think critically.

Cognitive Psychology

1. Focus on What Happens Inside Our Heads:

   • Cognitive psychology, on the other hand, studies how we think, remember things, and solve problems.
   • However, these ideas can be a bit complicated, which makes it tough for teachers to find ways to help students learn better.
   • Challenge: The complexity of how our minds work can lead to confusion, making it hard to apply these ideas in the classroom.

2. Understanding How We Process Information:

   • Cognitive psychologists use models to show how we process information when we learn.
   • While these models are helpful, they can seem too abstract or difficult to use in real classroom situations.
   • Challenge: It's a big challenge to connect these theories to actual teaching methods that work well.

Finding Common Ground

To solve these issues, it might be helpful to combine ideas from both behavioral and cognitive psychology. By understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each, teachers can get a better grasp of how students learn. Here are some ways to do this:

• Use Behavioral Techniques: Mix structured rewards to encourage good behaviors with cognitive strategies that help students understand things better and work more independently.

• Be Flexible: Adjust teaching methods to meet different learning needs, making sure to address both what students do and how they think.

By bringing together these different views, we can create better learning experiences and improve educational results for students.