REET Level 1 study notes
Learning theories — Behaviourist, Gestalt, Bandura, Piaget
In REET Level 1 Child Development and Pedagogy, four learning-theory groups are central. The behaviourist tradition includes Pavlov's classical conditioning, Skinner's operant conditioning, and Thorndike's laws of readiness, exercise, and effect; it treats learning as visible stimulus-response change. Gestalt theory, especially Kohler's insight learning and Wertheimer's whole-pattern view, treats learning as mental restructuring. Bandura adds observational learning, imitation, vicarious reinforcement, and self-efficacy, while Piaget explains learning through assimilation, accommodation, equilibration, organization, and four age-linked cognitive stages.
Key points
- Behaviourist family covers Pavlov's classical conditioning, Skinner's operant conditioning with reinforcement schedules, and Thorndike's three primary laws of readiness, exercise and effect.
- Gestalt theory centres on whole-pattern perception; Kohler's chimpanzee insight learning is a standard example of insight learning.
- Bandura's Social Learning Theory adds attention, retention, motor reproduction and motivation, plus self-efficacy and vicarious reinforcement, illustrated by the Bobo doll study.
- Piaget's cognitive constructivism explains schema change through assimilation, accommodation, equilibration and organization across four age-linked stages.
- Piaget's stages run sensorimotor (0-2), preoperational (2-7), concrete operational (7-11) and formal operational (11+); REET Level 1 audience sits in the middle two.
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In REET Level 1 Child Development and Pedagogy, four learning-theory groups are central. The behaviourist tradition includes Pavlov's classical conditioning, Skinner's operant conditioning, and Thorndike's laws of readiness, exercise, and effect; it treats learning as visible stimulus-response change. Gestalt theory, especially Kohler's insight learning and Wertheimer's whole-pattern view, treats learning as mental...