Answer to Question #314001 in English for shabba

Question

Tabukates the difference between the behaviourist and the constructivist learning theories related to the role of thet teacher, learner, content and environment. 10 marks

Answer 1

Teachers employ various learning theories in the classroom. Constructivism, in which students construct their own knowledge through learning experiences, and behaviorism, in which students learn through observing the experiences of themselves and others, are popular theories for modern educators. The primary difference between behaviorism and constructivism is the way the two theories are developed. Behaviorism as a theory of learning based its approach upon the idea that an individual acquires certain behaviors through conditioning after interacting with the environment. Therefore, the behaviorism aims at identifying the change in behavior through observation. That is, centered on external observable behavior. On the other hand, constructivism implies that an individual learning process occurs due to the adjustment of mental models after a person passes through or accommodates new experiences. It also explains that every person learns by constructing a personal understanding of the place that one lives. That is, every person forms his or her mental models and rules that one uses to interpret experiences. Constructivism focuses on the mental functioning that collaborates with other disciplines to identify what happens in the mind (Pearson & Mitchell, 2012).

Behaviorism does not consider the memory as an important tool in the formation of behavior. The method emphasizes that a person learns by having the body conditioned in a certain way. After either the classical or the operant conditioning has taken place in the body. it shows a particular response when exposed to certain conditions. On the contrary, constructivism holds the use of memory as a very important element in the learning process. Since it involves the formation of mental models that one uses to interpret other experiences. the mind plays very crucial roles in the interpretation of the experiences and remembering the previously created models.

Behaviorism also considers instruction is the primary method through which a student acquires knowledge.