Psychological Foundations of Curriculum

Summary

This script explores the integral role of psychology in shaping curriculum and learning. It outlines three major learning theories: behaviorist, cognitivist, and humanistic. Behaviorism focuses on stimulus-response and reinforcement, while cognitivism views learning as a cognitive process influenced by the environment. Humanistic psychology emphasizes self-concept and emotional needs, suggesting they significantly impact learning. The script highlights how understanding these theories can enhance educational practices and student development.

Takeaways

• 🧠 Psychology is central to understanding how people learn, which is integral to curriculum development.
• 🔗 Teaching and learning are interrelated processes, with psychology providing the theoretical framework to understand their dynamics.
• 👨‍🏫 John Dewey's perspective emphasizes the interaction of the learner with the environment as a determinant of learning quality.
• 🎯 Ralph Tyler viewed psychology as a tool for setting educational objectives and understanding learning processes.
• 🏫 Behaviorist theories focus on stimulus-response and reinforcement, influencing how educators design learning experiences.
• 🤔 Cognitive theories, inspired by Piaget, see learning as a cognitive process influenced by social, psychological, and physical development.
• 📈 Piaget's stages of cognitive development provide a framework for organizing curriculum to match learners' developmental stages.
• 🌱 Taba's approach to curriculum development considers Piaget's cognitive processes, emphasizing the transformation of complex concepts to suit learners' stages.
• 🌟 Bruner's theory of learning involves acquisition, transformation, and evaluation of information, aligning with Piaget's cognitive processes.
• ❤️ Humanistic psychology, with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, suggests that fulfilling basic human needs is essential for effective learning.
• 🌈 Humanistic learning theories, focusing on self-concept and wholeness, can enhance mental health and personal growth among learners.

Q & A

What is the fundamental question that psychology seeks to answer in the context of learning?

Psychology seeks to answer the fundamental question of how people learn.

How does psychology contribute to curriculum development?

Psychology contributes to curriculum development by providing theories and principles that influence student and teacher behavior within the learning process.

What role does psychology play in the relationship between teaching and learning?

Psychology cements the relationship between teaching and learning by providing the theoretical framework that underpins educational practices.

How did John Dewey view the role of psychology in learning?

John Dewey saw psychology as the basis for understanding how individual learners interact with their environment, with the quality of these interactions determining the amount and type of learning.

What was Ralph Tyler's perspective on the utility of psychology in curriculum design?

Ralph Tyler considered psychology as a screen for determining educational objectives and the mechanisms of learning, thus influencing curriculum design.

What are the three major theories of learning mentioned in the script?

The three major theories of learning mentioned are behaviorist theories, cognitive theories, and humanistic psychology.

How does behaviorist theory approach the concept of learning?

Behaviorist theory approaches learning as a process of conditioning behavior through environmental changes to elicit desired responses.

What are the key ideas of cognitive theory in relation to learning?

Cognitive theory views learning as a cognitive process influenced by the learner's interaction with the environment, emphasizing the development of mental structures and the growth of cognitive abilities.

How does humanistic psychology differ from behaviorism and cognitive theories in its approach to learning?

Humanistic psychology emphasizes the learner's self-concept and the wholeness of the individual's experience, focusing on personal growth, self-actualization, and the affective domain of learning.

What are the implications of Maslow's hierarchy of needs for teaching and learning?

Maslow's hierarchy of needs implies that fulfilling basic psychological needs is essential for learners to be motivated in acquiring knowledge and that the classroom environment should support the fulfillment of these needs.

Why is it important for educators to consider the stage of cognitive development when designing curricula?

Educators should consider the stage of cognitive development to ensure that curricula are appropriate for the learner's developmental capabilities, enhancing the effectiveness of teaching and learning.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Psychology's Role in Curriculum Development

This paragraph explores the intersection of psychology and curriculum development. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how people learn, which is central to curriculum design. Psychology provides theories and principles that influence student and teacher behavior within educational contexts. John Dewey's ideas on learning through interaction with the environment are highlighted, as are Ralph Tyler's views on using psychology to determine educational objectives and learning processes. The paragraph also introduces three major learning theories: behaviorist, cognitivist, and humanistic, each offering different perspectives on learning and their implications for curriculum design.

05:01

🧠 Cognitive Development and Its Impact on Learning

The second paragraph delves into cognitive theories of learning, particularly those influenced by Jean Piaget's stages of cognitive development. It discusses how Piaget's theories have been applied to curriculum design by educators like Tyler, Taba, and Bruner. The paragraph explains how curriculum should be organized to reflect continuity, sequence, and integration, allowing learners to build upon previous knowledge and experiences. Taba's approach to curriculum design, which considers Piaget's stages and cognitive processes, is also examined. The paragraph concludes by discussing the importance of aligning curriculum with the developmental stages of learners.

10:02

🌟 Humanistic Psychology and Its Contribution to Education

The final paragraph focuses on humanistic psychology and its emphasis on the individual's self-concept and emotional well-being in the learning process. It discusses Maslow's hierarchy of needs and how fulfilling these needs can impact a student's interest in learning. The paragraph highlights the importance of considering human emotions and qualities like creativity and values in education. Humanistic psychology, as represented by Maslow, suggests that a child's experience is fundamental to learning and that the classroom environment should support the psychological development and potential of learners, enhancing mental health and human awareness.

Keywords

💡Curriculum

Curriculum refers to the planned subjects and learning experiences that students receive in an educational institution. In the context of the video, curriculum is central to understanding how psychology contributes to education. The script mentions that psychology provides theories and principles that influence student and teacher behavior within the curriculum, highlighting its importance in shaping educational experiences.

💡Psychology

Psychology is the scientific study of the human mind and its functions, especially those affecting behavior in a given context. The video emphasizes that psychology is crucial for understanding the teaching-learning process. It is described as the unifying element of the learning process, forming the basis for methods, materials, and activities of learning, and serving as inputs for many curricular decisions.

💡Behaviorism

Behaviorism is a school of psychology that focuses on observable behavior and the environmental factors that influence it. The script explains that behaviorism deals with stimulus-response and reinforcement, suggesting that behavior can be conditioned by changing the environment. This theory has a significant impact on education, influencing the creation of educational programs and curricula.

💡Cognitivism

Cognitivism is a learning theory that views learning as an active, constructive process, emphasizing the role of mental activities in making sense of the world. The video script describes cognitivist theories as viewing the learner in relation to the total environment, focusing on cognitive development and the understanding of concepts. This perspective is used to structure curricula that align with the developmental stages of learners.

💡Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic psychology emphasizes the unique qualities of human beings, such as creativity, values, and self-actualization. In the video, humanistic psychology is presented as a third force in learning theory, focusing on the individual's concept of self and the importance of personal meaning. It suggests that learning is influenced by the wholeness of the problem and the individual's perception of their environment.

💡John Dewey

John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist, and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education. The script mentions Dewey's view that psychology is the basis for understanding how individual learners interact with their environment, and how the quality of these interactions determines learning.

💡Ralph Tyler

Ralph Tyler was an American educator known for his work in curriculum development. The video script refers to Tyler's view of psychology as a 'screen' for determining objectives and how learning takes place, indicating his belief in the importance of psychology in shaping educational goals and processes.

💡Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development

Jean Piaget's theory of cognitive development posits that children progress through distinct stages of cognitive growth. The script discusses Piaget's stages and how they inform curriculum principles, such as continuity, sequence, and integration, which are essential for organizing learning experiences that build upon previous knowledge.

💡Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs is a motivational theory that prioritizes certain needs over others. The video script explains how Maslow's theory, particularly the need for love and belongingness, can affect a child's interest in learning. It suggests that fulfilling basic needs is crucial for creating an environment conducive to learning.

💡Assimilation and Accommodation

Assimilation and accommodation are cognitive processes described by Piaget where individuals adapt to new information. The script uses these terms to explain how learners process new information (assimilation) and adjust their existing knowledge to accommodate new experiences, which is crucial for cognitive development and learning.

💡Self-Actualization

Self-actualization is the highest level in Maslow's hierarchy of needs, referring to the desire to realize one's full potential. The video script connects self-actualization with humanistic psychology, emphasizing the importance of nurturing individual potential and creativity in the learning process.

Highlights

Psychology's fundamental question is how people learn, which is crucial for curriculum development.

Psychology provides answers for understanding the teaching-learning process, influencing curriculum decisions.

Teaching and learning are interrelated, with psychology cementing this relationship through theories and principles.

John Dewey viewed psychology as essential for understanding how individual learners interact with their environment.

Ralph Tyler used psychology as a screen for determining educational objectives and learning processes.

Psychology is a unifying element of the learning process, influencing methods, materials, and activities of learning.

Behaviorist theories focus on stimulus-response and reinforcement, impacting how educators design learning experiences.

Cognitivist theories view the learner in relation to the total environment, emphasizing cognitive development.

Humanistic psychology emphasizes attitudes, feelings, and the affective domain of learning.

Behaviorism, with its conditioning approach, was predominant in the first half of the 20th century and has regained importance.

Cognitive theories, such as Piaget's stages of development, influence curriculum principles and learning organization.

Piaget's theory of cognitive development underpins curriculum principles by Tyler, Taba, and Bruner.

Taba's analysis of Piaget's stages suggests transforming complex concepts into mental operations suitable for learners' stages.

Bruner's structure of knowledge is based on assimilation and accommodation, similar to Piaget's cognitive process.

Humanistic psychology, with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, has implications for teaching and learning, emphasizing self-actualization.

Maslow's theory suggests that unfulfilled basic needs can hinder a child's interest in acquiring knowledge.

Humanistic learning theory focuses on the wholeness of the learner, emphasizing creativity, values, and individual dignity.

Transcripts

psychology is concerned with the basic

question how do people learn

the curriculum specialist however asked

how the psychology contribute to

curriculum

psychology has provided various kinds of

answers for the understanding of the

teaching learning process

as long as teaching and learning are

important considerations for curriculum

psychology will be important as well

teaching and learning are interrelated

and psychology cements the relationship

it provides the theories and principles

that influence student teacher Behavior

within the context of curriculum for

John Dewey Psychology was the basis for

understanding how the individual learner

interacts with persons and objects in

the environment and the quality of

interactions determine the amount and

type of learning

Ralph Tyler considered psychology to be

a screen for determining what our

objectives are and how our learning

takes place

in short

psychology is the unifying elements of

the learning process it forms the basis

for the methods materials and activities

of learning and it subsequently serves

as the imputes for many curricular

decisions

there are three major theories of

learning that include behaviorist

theories which deal with various aspects

of stimulus response and reinforcement

scheme cognitivist theories which view

the Learner in relationship with the

total environment and the human

psychology which emphasizes attitudes

and feelings the affective domain of

learning

behaviorism is the first School of

Psychology which studied the nature of

learning behavior is emphasize

conditioning Behavior by changing the

environment to elicit the selected

responses from the learner this theory

was predominant in the first half of the

20th century and has regained currency

with the Advent of individualized

Education broadly the behavior is

Advocate that behavior is likely to be

influenced by the conditions under which

learning takes place

attitude and abilities of Learners can

change or improve over time through

proper stimuli learning experiences can

be designed and controlled to create

beside learning and selective

reinforcement is actually essential

we can see that behaviorism has a major

impact on education Educators who are

behaviorists and in charge of curricula

use many principles of behaviorism to

guide the creation of the new program

contrary to behaviors the cognitive

school of thought believes that learning

is cognitive in nature it explains the

phenomenon of human growth and

development as cognitive social and

psychological and physical growth and

development refer to changes in the

structure and function of human

characteristics

in 1950 describes the cognitive stages

of development from birth to maturity

prj's cognitive stage describes Learning

and Development as a process of

maturation which continues and it is

based on previous growth the stages

follow a hierarchical order and

attainment in each stage varies

depending on the hereditary and

environmental factors however the

sequence of development as propounded by

pajay Remains the Same for all

individuals PJ's learning theories form

the basis of curriculum principles

propounded by Tyler taba and Bruner in

fact Tyler 1962 propounds three methods

of organizing learning which were based

on Piaget's theory of cognitive

development

these three methods include continuity

so in continuity skills and Concepts in

the curriculum should have vertical

recurrence which enable the learner to

practice those Concepts

or concepts the second is sequence it is

the understanding of Concepts should be

in a sequence such as that each

successive experience Builds on the

preceding one

and the last of course is the

integration curricular experiences

should be horizontally interrelated and

should be unified in relation to other

elements Concepts in a particular

subject should not be an isolation to

Concepts in another subject

taba on the other hand reviews Piaget's

four stages of cognitive development and

Analysis there analyze their

implications for intelligence and mental

development

complex Concepts and subject matter

should be transformed into mental

operations appropriate to the Learners

developmental stage taba also take into

considerations Piaget's cognitive

process of assimilation

accommodation and equilibration taba's

curricular experiences are compatible

with existing experiences the concept

should be organized so as to move from

concrete principles and classifying new

relationship or equilibration

on the other hand Bruner's structure of

knowledge knowledge is based on Piaget's

concept of assimilation and

accommodation Bruner's process of

learner learning is actually similar to

Piaget's cognitive process

these include acquisition

getting new information which mainly

correspond to assimilation the

information acquired may be new or may

replace previous information or merely

qualify it

the next is transformation it is the

individual's capacity to process new

information it corresponds to

accommodation and the last is evaluation

it determines the extent to which the

information has been processed

appropriately enough to in to deal with

a problem it corresponds to

equilibration it is important for

teachers and curriculum specialists to

determine the appropriate emphasis to be

given to a particular P adjacent stage

of development and thinking the process

into consideration this is particularly

critical for school teachers it is

during this stage of schooling the

children move from one from the second

to the third and fourth stages of

development

meanwhile in humanistic psychology

is actually not considered as a school

or wing of Psychology by the traditional

psychologist

nonetheless a number of observers have

viewed humanist thinking as a third

Force learning theory

after behaviorism and cognitive

development human psychologists

emphasize that the way we look at

ourselves is basis for understanding our

Behavior our action and learning are

determined by our concept of ourselves

their ideas are rooted in early field

theories and field ground ideas these

theories view the total organism in

relation to the environment and the

personal meaning constructed in a given

situation

learning is explained in terms of the

wholeness of the problem human beings do

not respond to as isolated stimuli but

to an organization of pattern stimuli

Maslow's Theory Maslow is a humanist has

developed a hierarchy of human needs

that needs and are arranged

hierarchically in order of importance

like for example

psychological needs which is necessary

to maintain life such as the need of

food water and oxygen

Then followed by safety needs it is the

needs to protect oneself or avoid Danger

next a hierarchy the next stage is love

and belongingness needs to having a

relationship with people and to have a

place in the society

the next in the hierarchy is the esteem

needs needs to be recognized as a

worthwhile person

Then followed by self-actualization

needs to develop into a best person in

accordance with one's fullest potential

these needs have definite implications

for teaching and learning for example if

a child's basic needs of love and

belongingness are not fulfilled it will

not be interested in acquiring knowledge

of the world

Maslow's theory has implication for

classroom teaching and these are based

to some extent on the ideas of other

psychologists who gave importance to

human emotions Maslow is the Pioneer of

humanistic psychology

considering the experience of a child

that include fundamental to learning

emphasizing human qualities like

creativity and values and giving

importance to the dignity and work of

the individual and focus on the

psychological development and human

potential of learners

humanistic learning May enhance the

mental health of Learners harmonize

personal feeling among students and

teachers and improve various aspects of

human awareness among students