Theory of Learning

1. Jerome Bruner’s Theory of
Learning
Presentor: Rosemarie A. Aguilar
Philo and Psycho-Socio

2. Principles of J. Bruner Theory
1. Instruction must be concerned
with the experiences and contexts
that make the student willing and
able to learn (readiness).

3. Principles of J. Bruner Theory
2. Instruction must be structured so
that it can be easily grasped by the
student (spiral organization).

4. Principles of J. Bruner Theory
3. Instruction should be designed to
facilitate extrapolation and or fill in
the gaps (going beyond the
information given).

5. J. Bruner Theory
*Bruner's theoretical framework is
based on the theme that learning is
an active process and learners
construct new ideas or concepts
based upon existing knowledge.

6. J. Bruner Theory
*Facets of the process include
selection and transformation of
information, decision making,
generating hypotheses, and making
meaning from information and
experiences.

7. J. Bruner Theory
*Cognitive structure (i.e., schema,
mental models) provides meaning
and organization to experiences and
allows the individual to "go beyond
the information given".

8. J. Bruner Theory
*He investigated motivation for
learning. He felt that ideally, interest in
the subject matter is the best stimulus
for learning. Bruner did not like
external competitive goals such as
grades or class ranking.

9. J. Bruner's Theory of Instruction
1. Tendency towards learning.
2. The ways in which a body of knowledge
can be structured so that it can be most
readily grasped by the learner,
3. The most effective sequences in which
to present material.
4. The nature and pacing of rewards and
punishments.

10. Bruner: Learning must be
ACTIVE!
Like Piaget, Bruner believed in stages
of instruction based on development.
*Cognitive Growth
a. enactive (birth to age 3)
b. iconic (age 3 to 8)
c. symbolic (from age 8)
*Discovery Learning

14. Spiral Curriculum
Instead of
focusing for
relatively long
periods of time on
specific narrow
topics, a spiral
curriculum tries to
expose students
to a wide varies of
ideas over and
over ago.

15. Classroom Instruction
*Provide study materials, activities and tools.
*Examples of all three to help children learn
about dinosaurs
-Construct a model of a dinosaur
(enactive)
-Watch a film about dinosaurs (iconic)
-Consult reference texts and discuss

16. Scaffolding Theory
He used the term to
describe young
children's oral
language acquisition.
Helped by their
parents when they
first start learning to
speak, young children
are provided with
instinctive structures
to learn a language.
Bed-time stories and
read alouds are
classic examples.

17. Conclusion of Theory
1. A major theme in the theoretical framework of
Bruner is that learning is an active process in which
learners construct new ideas or concepts based upon
their current/past knowledge.
2. As far as instruction is concerned, the instructor
should try and encourage students to discover
principles by themselves and they should engage in
an active dialogue. (i.e., socratic learning).
3. Curriculum should be organized in a spiral manner
so that the student continually builds upon what they
have already learned.