This document discusses various theories of learning including: - Thorndike's Connectionism or Reinforcement Theory which states that learning is the result of connections formed between stimuli and responses through rewards. - Pavlov's Conditioning Theory which explains that learning occurs through conditioning natural responses to new stimuli. - Skinner's Operant Conditioning which is a modification of Pavlov's theory where responses are seen as active rather than passive and goal-oriented. - Gestalt Theory which views learning as insightful and involving perceiving situations as a whole configuration rather than separate parts.

1. Dr. Utpal Kalita
Assistant Professor
Department of Education
R. G. Baruah College, Guwahati
Assam

2. We the human being are blessed with inborn
abilities like intelligence, instincts and aptitudes
by our creator. All these abilities are developed in
later life according to the situation or environment
that we have across in our life. Life is a process of
continuous change, modification and improvement
of our crude instinctive behaviours. Through which
our instinctive behaviours are changed, modified or
improved?
Welcome to the world of knowledge

3.  To learn is to modify behaviour. (Percy Nunn)
 Learning is the modification of behaviour through
experience and training. (Edward Gates)
 Learning is any change in behaviour resulting from
behaviour. (J. P. Guilford)
 Learning is the modification of the reactions of an
organism through experiences. (Colvin)
 Learning is acquisition of habits, knowledge and
attitude. It involves new ways of doing things and it
operates in an individual’s attempt to overcome
obstacles or to adjust to new situations. (Lester D.,
Crow and Alice Crow)

4.  Learning is an act of adjustment of individual
in his environment.
 Learning means acquiring new experiences.
 Learning is always purposive and goal
oriented.
 Learning depends upon physical maturation.
 Learning is an individual activity.
 Success or achievement in learning depends
upon motivation.

5.  Habits make learning permanent.
 Learning is an intelligent activity.
 Help to adjust in new situation.
 Help to solve the problems.
 Help to innovate new things.
 Learning is a universal activity.
 Learning is a continuous process.

6. Physical Factors
 Physical fitness,
 Free from fatigue
and boredom,
 Drill and practice,
 Age and
experience,
 Food and drink,
 Method of learning
Psychological Factors
 Goal & objectives
of learning,
 Interest & motivation,
 Attitude,
 Aptitude,
 Emotional condition,
 Mental health.
 Guidance

7. Environmental Factors
 Physical/ Infrastructural Facilities,
 Administrative Skill,
 Method of discipline,
 Method of teaching,
 Teachers’ efficiency
 Co-ordination between school and home.

8.  Nervous System:
 Mental and intellectual development of the
children mainly depend on the nervous system.
 Defective nervous system results abnormal
mental development and lack of intelligence.
 Endocrine Glands: play an important role in
different aspects of the children
 Cognitive and connective behaviour,
 Psycho-physical activeness,
 Energetic and enthusiastic activities,
 Intellectual activeness.

9.  Psycho-physical Maturity:
 Learning depends on the maturity of the physical
and sense organs of the children
 Curiosity:
 Means eagerness to know his/ her immediate
physical environment.
 Putting questions to anybody, anywhere,
anytime.

10.  Learning by imitation
 Child develops a tendency to imitate activities
and behaviours of others.
 It helps him to learn & acquire experiences of
day to day life.
 Learning by doing
 Children learn a lots from their own activities.
 Walking, talking, eating, bathing, using toilet,
reading, writing etc.

11.  Learning through Sense Organs:
 In the first step
 Sense organs are the gateways of knowledge.
 Every living organism has the capacity to react/
respond to the situation or stimulus.
 The sensory nervous carry the impulse to the
respective sensory regions of the brain and then
the child become aware of it. This is the sensory
experience.
 In the second step
 The mind and brain of the children start to give
the meaning of the sensory experience. After
that, sensory experience has turn into perception
or knowledge.

12. But perception may be false. False perception is
not recognised as knowledge. (Illusion and
Hallucination)
 In the third step
 Perception is turns into conception with the help of
previous sensation.
 Conception is the organized and integrated result of
perception
 Conception may be concrete or abstract.
 Learning by Repetition or Exercise

13. According to Thorndike, learning is
the result of connection or bond
established between stimulus and
response (S-R Theory)
If the initial response to the
stimulus is satisfactory, the
organism is encouraged or
reinforced to repeat the responses
again and again. (Trial and Error
Method)
Connectionism or Reinforcement
Theory (E. L. Thorndike)

15.  Learning is the result of conditioning of the natural
response to some other stimulus.
Experiment on dog:
S1 (Meat) – R1 (Salivation)
S2 (Sound of Bell) – R2 (Response to Sound)
S1+S2 – R1 (Salivation) Several trial Continued
S2 (Bell) – R1 (Salivation)
Conditioning Theory (Watson and Pavlov)

17.  Acquisition of child’s language,
 Formation of good habit,
 Formation of attitude in students,
 Training of the animal.

18. It is a slight modification
of Pavlov’s conditioning
theory. It maintains that
response or behaviour of
the organism in learning is
not mechanical, passive or
voluntary but active,
purposive and goal
oriented.
Operant Conditioning
(B. F. Skinner)

20.  Making the objective of learning clear,
 Learning behaviour be awarded,
 Proceed from simple to complex,
 Modification of behaviour
 Programmed learning method.

21.  The word ‘Gestalt’ means -‘the surface’ or
‘the configuration’ or ‘ the totality’.
 The Gestalt psychologist maintain that
‘learning is not blind and mechanical
activity.’
 It needs the power of insight, mental
organization and perceptual ability.
 The Gestaltists maintained that learning
involved in the ability of perceiving or
observing the situation as a whole or in its
totality. (Insightful Learning Method)
Gestalt or Configuration Theory

22.  Kohler
conducted an
experiment
with
Chimpanzees.