The Learning Process of a Student 1

The Learning Process of a Student

Megan Conley
Bridgewater College
April 3, 2012

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Abstract
A students learning process occurs in many different ways. There have been many
theorists and ideas throughout history to describe how the brain and its thought process works.
As a teacher, one must have a basic understanding of this complicated development. I believe the
learning process of a student is based on experiences, conditioning, and having well prepared
lesson plans.

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The Learning Process of a Student

There are many different ideas about how people learn. The mind has a complicated
process in the ways that it sorts out information. This is something that a teacher needs to have
an understanding of to be able to properly teach their students in a way that the students can best
learn. The learning process of a student is based on experiences, conditioning, and having well
prepared lesson plans.
The environment a student is in has much to do with how this student will learn and
process the things he or she experiences. According to Jean Piaget, children understand the world
around them by observing the environment around them. This includes the people they are
around or the genetics they are born with. When children are observing the environment around
them, they are creating their own ideas based off their experiences. As a teacher, one must create
an environment that promotes learning. Children mock the actions of the people around them.
Therefore, a teacher must act in a manner that mirrors the expectations of the students. For
example if a teacher wants his or her students to be respectful to one another, the teacher must
show respect to all those he or she comes in contact with. Providing guidance to the children is a
way to give learning experiences to students. This idea was developed by Lev Vygotsky. As
stated by an article by SUNY Early Childhood Education and Training Program, In Vygotskys
view of cognitive development, the adults or other partners in a childs world provide scaffolding
to help children learn new information and develop more complex thinking abilities
(SUNY Early Childhood Education and Training Program). This scaffolding molds the
children into the teachers ideal students. A teacher must guide the participation within the

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classroom so that the students can obtain new skills. These new skills can be in the form of
behavior, curriculum, or creativity.
Another way that a student learns is through conditioning. Ivan Pavlov developed and
studied Classical Conditioning. He concluded through his research that when a stimulus occurs
and is followed repeatedly by another stimulus, one begins to expect the second stimulus when
the first occurs. As better said by Learning Theories Knowledgebase, Classical conditioning is a
reflexive or automatic type of learning in which a stimulus acquires the capacity to evoke a
response that was originally evoked by another stimulus (Learning Theories Knowledgebase).
Teachers can use this idea to enhance student learning by shaping new classroom behaviors. An
example of this would be a teacher turning off the lights to quiet a noisy class. The teacher tells
the students beforehand that quietness is expected when the lights are switched off. The light
being switched off is the first stimulus. The second stimulus is quiet. The students process this
idea and learn that the expectation is to be quiet when the lights are off. Nothing about having the
lights off would imply quietness for the average person. However, using Pavlovs Classical
conditioning, the students have learned the response to the lights going out.
A teacher can have a great impact on a students learning development. One way a
teacher can ensure that he or she is correctly giving the curriculum to the students is by using
Hunter or Gagns lesson plan models. The teacher will use these steps to create a lesson plan
where the student can best learn. The steps include identifying the objective, motivating the
students, teaching the curriculum through guided learning, and giving an assessment to see if the
students have understood the material. By using these steps, students learning process is
enhanced throughout a thorough study of the material.

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As a teacher, I have the great responsibility to understand the learning process of a

student and use my knowledge to best teach them the information they need to know to become
successful individuals. I believe students learn by the experiences they have had, the
conditioning they have grown accustom to, and the way the teacher handles lessons.

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References

Learning Theories Knowledgebase (2012, April). Classical Conditioning (Pavlov) at

Learning-Theories.com. Retrieved April 4th, 2012 from http://www.learningtheories.com/classical-conditioning-pavlov.html
SUNY Early Childhood Education and Training Program Two Important Ideas about
Thinking from Vygotsky. Retrieved April 3, 2012 from
http://ecetp.pdp.albany.edu/downloadfiles/vcresources/Two%20Important%20Ideas%20about
%20Thinking%20from%20Vygotsky.pdf