Basic Principles of Learning
Presented by,
Diviya.R
B.Ed
English
The principles of learning provide additional
insight into what makes people learn most
effectively.
The majority of these principles are widely applied
in many fields.
Learning is form of growth
Along with physical growth, when training
and experience get combined, physical development
takes place.
Learning is adjustment to one’s environment
Behaviourists define learning as expressing suitable
response to a given stimulus. So, the purpose of learning is to
adapt one self to the environment (i.e. having a well adjusted
behaviour).
Learning is organizing experiences
Learning is not getting more and more new information or
experiences.On the other hand, it is the integration of the new
experiences received with the experiences already present which
results in the elimination of the unwanted ones to produce an
accumulation of refined experiences i.e. the knowledge and skills
acquired through learning get refined.
Learning is purposeful
Only if the child finds what it learners in and outside
the school satisfies its goals and desires, then only learning will
be effective. No one learns anything without a purpose.
Learning is an intelligent act
Meaningless reptition does not produce permanent
learning. Learning takes when an insight is gained, and the
process understood.
Learning is active participation
Only by the active participation of the student in the
process of learning, learning could become effective.That is
why educationists give importance to ‘learning by doing’.
Without self motivation and involvement, true learning cannot
take place.
Learning is both individual and social
Learning is more than an individual activity; It is a
social activity too. Individual mind is affected by the group
mind consciously as well as unconsciously.
Learning cannot be forced
Learning is an activity undertaken by a person
willingly. Just by compelling a person to learn, learning will
not take place. So, only after preparing a child properly, to
learn a particular lesson or skill, the subject content should be
presented.
Learning takes place only when the learner
interacts with his environment
Learning is not an activity which happens in vacuum. It takes
place only in a particular environment. If the learning environment
is rich and healthy, the learning will be effective.
True learning bring changes in the behaviour of
students
Every experience makes a change in the cognitive
structure of the learner. It gets reflected in the learner’s
behavior too. Stated briefly, the goal of learning is behavior
modification i.e. improving the behavior.
Learning is whole
It is human nature to see anything in its totality. Instead
of looking at things as separate, if we integrate them, it
becomes meaningful. According to the Gestalt Theory,
learning is nothing but organizing our perceptions in a
meaningful way.
Learning depends upon gaining insight
At first, we may not understand the components of a task and the
relationship existing among them, but all of a sudden, as a flash we may
understand them. This is called getting insight. This learning by insight
depends upon an individual’s previous experiences, intelligence, the way the
problem was presented and efforts undertaken etc. So, the teacher should
provide additional help to the slow learners and make them understand the
content of the lesson.
Thank you
