Applying psychological theories to teaching and learning
By Michelle Evangelista
EDI 600 Psychological Foundation of Education
School of Education
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 3, 2009
Erikson, Piaget, and Vygostky’s theories each evaluate the lifespan of a human’s qualities and intelligence, in three different ways. However, after reading each theory one after another, they sort of flow into each other. The three psychologists allow us to perceive our personality and cognitive developments from biology, genetics and social interactions. As a perspective teacher, these theories allow me to understand the levels of maturity and knowledge for my soon to be students.
“Erikson’s theory is based on the epigenetic principle of biology.” (Snowman, pg. 68) He is suggesting that while a baby grows physically in the womb of the mother, his personality is grows. He then goes into his eight stages, which we go through from birth to old age. These eight stages are the ways we handle our social surroundings, as we get older.
I actually can relate Erikson’s, four-year-old to five-year-old stage called initiative vs. guilt to one of my observations. While observing and helping Ms. Rauch with her first grade class, the youngest little girl ( age 5), did not realize that she did not sign up for line leader the previous week. She was so upset. While Ms. Rauch was not looking, Sara got a sticky pad, wrote her name down and added it to the sign up pile. In the scenario, Sara put her initiative to be line leader before feeling guilty that she may be cheating her peers for the helper position.
Erikson applies this to each age grouping, society has placed its occupants. It is a good way of understanding why we stereotype adolescents as going through their “teenage years.” Children in this age group, are unaware of their true role and do not know what the favorable behaviors are from adults.
Piaget, formed a theory on how individuals inherit the way they will cognitively think. We all inherit two rational tendencies, which are our abilities to organize and adapt during each learning experience and in the course of our lives. Piaget theorized four stages individuals experience in the course of getting older. The preoperational stage allows me to understand cognitive development in another class, which I observed. While watching Ms. Lonigro prepare her third grade students for the math statewide test, I realized that for some they were unable to understand that 15 divided by 3 = 5, is the same as 5 times 3 = 15. This theory can allow a teacher to know that she needs to explain the math example with more symbols or visual explanations.
Vygostky explains his theory on how the upbringing of parents, the learning strategies of teachers and relationships of peers influences someone’s cognitive development. I completely agree with Vygostky.
Looking back again on Ms. Rauch’s first grade class, I remember them having to place words in alphabetical order. Then the children had to categorize the words into groups labeled, clothes, places or animals. We are most definitely “taught culturally to think in abstract levels”, but it is what helps us become success as we continue to learn new information.
These three psychologists have given me a better outlook as to why and how children think, learn and behave. I most certainly give them credit because we do not remember, at least I do not, of why I thought or behaved the way I did as a child or adolescent. I look back to memories of being an adolescent or hear stories from my mother of when I was three, and either say,” What was a I thinking?” or “Wow, I did that at such a young age.” One thing I have learned so far in the past three weeks is that children are very intelligent; we just have to help them and be their role models.
Long Island University, C. W. Post
February 3, 2009
Erikson, Piaget, and Vygostky’s theories each evaluate the lifespan of a human’s qualities and intelligence, in three different ways. However, after reading each theory one after another, they sort of flow into each other. The three psychologists allow us to perceive our personality and cognitive developments from biology, genetics and social interactions. As a perspective teacher, these theories allow me to understand the levels of maturity and knowledge for my soon to be students.
“Erikson’s theory is based on the epigenetic principle of biology.” (Snowman, pg. 68) He is suggesting that while a baby grows physically in the womb of the mother, his personality is grows. He then goes into his eight stages, which we go through from birth to old age. These eight stages are the ways we handle our social surroundings, as we get older.
I actually can relate Erikson’s, four-year-old to five-year-old stage called initiative vs. guilt to one of my observations. While observing and helping Ms. Rauch with her first grade class, the youngest little girl ( age 5), did not realize that she did not sign up for line leader the previous week. She was so upset. While Ms. Rauch was not looking, Sara got a sticky pad, wrote her name down and added it to the sign up pile. In the scenario, Sara put her initiative to be line leader before feeling guilty that she may be cheating her peers for the helper position.
Erikson applies this to each age grouping, society has placed its occupants. It is a good way of understanding why we stereotype adolescents as going through their “teenage years.” Children in this age group, are unaware of their true role and do not know what the favorable behaviors are from adults.
Piaget, formed a theory on how individuals inherit the way they will cognitively think. We all inherit two rational tendencies, which are our abilities to organize and adapt during each learning experience and in the course of our lives. Piaget theorized four stages individuals experience in the course of getting older. The preoperational stage allows me to understand cognitive development in another class, which I observed. While watching Ms. Lonigro prepare her third grade students for the math statewide test, I realized that for some they were unable to understand that 15 divided by 3 = 5, is the same as 5 times 3 = 15. This theory can allow a teacher to know that she needs to explain the math example with more symbols or visual explanations.
Vygostky explains his theory on how the upbringing of parents, the learning strategies of teachers and relationships of peers influences someone’s cognitive development. I completely agree with Vygostky.
Looking back again on Ms. Rauch’s first grade class, I remember them having to place words in alphabetical order. Then the children had to categorize the words into groups labeled, clothes, places or animals. We are most definitely “taught culturally to think in abstract levels”, but it is what helps us become success as we continue to learn new information.
These three psychologists have given me a better outlook as to why and how children think, learn and behave. I most certainly give them credit because we do not remember, at least I do not, of why I thought or behaved the way I did as a child or adolescent. I look back to memories of being an adolescent or hear stories from my mother of when I was three, and either say,” What was a I thinking?” or “Wow, I did that at such a young age.” One thing I have learned so far in the past three weeks is that children are very intelligent; we just have to help them and be their role models.
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