There are many different teaching philosophies or learning theories. These are the two most common ones.
Constructivist Model
Reflecting on our own experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. A curriculum based on the constructivist model is based on prior knowledge of the learners
The purpose is for the student to construct their own meaning, rather than regurgitating someone else’s. Memorizing quotes about the cause for the industrial revolution is not the same as learning about the circumstances and formulating your own theory about it.
Maths teachers use this method often. Teachers and textbooks always have examples involving children, this relates the problem to the learner.
The constructivist model is generally competency based learning. Rather than earning A’s or B’s the learner earns a skill. At the end of the course the learner can either change a tyre or not. The learning is the reward.
Behaviourist Model
Behaviourism seeks to change the way the learner behaves. Students are deemed to have succeeded when they exhibit a new behaviour based on what they have learned. At the end of the course the learner needs to be able to demonstrate changing a tyre to be successful.
Behaviourism often uses conditioning or ROTE learning. Forcing repetitive behaviour to imprint a new behaviour on the learner.
ROTE learning is used for children between 1 and 16. An example of this is writing on blackboards
I will not write stupid blogs
I will not write stupid blogs
I will not write stupid blogs
This is used a lot by religious schools and marketing towards children
Hi5 uses this. Every week they have a different song at the end of the episode. This song is repeated for the children every day for the five days.
The Behaviourist model is not effective on all learners, because it does not adapt to different types of learning. A learner could be completely understanding the subject matter, but without exhibiting this behaviour the learner wouldn’t be successful. Behaviourism discounts the actions of the mind.
http://funderstanding.com/theories1.html
