During my junior school time
The termly reports I received after doing our exams were a lot of joy to the entire family. From the reports I received, my performance was average in the majority of the subjects although the comments on sports were different. I used not to participate in school sports and always giving excuses as to why I did not attend the compulsory school sports. It reached a point where the school sports coach had mastered my name just by the number of times I showed up armed with many excuses as to why I did not participate.
However, my childhood education was much different
Regarding the formal education I received. I joined school while I was eight years old and went to a kindergarten school. Having educated by teachers who treated us as if they are our parents, professionals as well as motivators until they time I progressed up to high school level. The time I joined high school struck me by the degree at which almost all the teachers expected the students to master theories and assume believing certain scientific principles without offering proof as to why students should understand them in the first place. The new experience made a whole lot of difference about the type of education I received before and the type of training I was experiencing then.
My childhood time was filled with curiosity
On almost anything which existed around me. This was driven by my father who is an engineer who firmly believed in the power of self-education and learning since learning is a continuous process. He would say that, in school, teachers cannot tell you everything, but the rest you can find out and research for yourself. One of the most memorable memories can illustrate this: on my leisure time after taking a family dinner at around 7 pm I asked my father why, when a spoon is inserted inside a glass of water, it looks bent, but when there is no water in the glass, it seemed straight. Without any explanation or word from my parents, the table was cleared, and lights switched off. After a few minutes, my father comes to the dining table with a glass of water, a spoon and a flashlight. Form the illustration from my father and his explanation as to how glass and water as a medium affect the way things appear; I never looked at things the same way from that day. From that very same day, I realized there is a difference between teachers who just teach and those who motivate the students. I remember during my high school time, teachers would persuade us to get and absorb information during class time and use the same information to write our exam papers. But on the other hand, the same teachers could tell us that we should try to discover information based on different theories on our own.
The learning experience
Is fundamentally dependent on the school system which makes it impractical to excel in all parts of the curriculum. Many subjects and timetabling made us as students choose any between sciences and humanities to be compulsory. Due to my curious nature, it prompted me to select a science curriculum which made me lose touch with the human world. In doing so, I learned to have confidence that I cannot do well in humanities, which was a subconscious belief. This choice made me take an engineering course in the university which supported my vision of curiosity regarding the surrounding world.
Learning made me believe
That conventional systems of education usually make learners consider them to have a perception of their limitations, rather than their actual responsibilities in the community. Students tend to make choices which they foresee that they can lead them to a more significant success within the shortest time possible using the most straightforward route possible. However, on the other hand, the current society tends to reward people based on their achievement and excellence and punishes failure. We all need to be paid on what we put effort on. Hence we choose the part that is simple and the shortest towards that particular goal. By doing so, we limit ourselves to those choices that fulfill our desires for the end goal of success and prosperity.
Learners retain, acquire, and gain knowledge
By learning various theories pertaining to their field of study. However, this varies on different individuals and the complexity of the study materials. To understand how learning of such subjects occurs, it is essential to focus on various study theories of learning that give a clear perspective on the processes involved. Learning theories are used, therefore, in developing school system curriculums, tools, techniques, and strategies that promote learning in learning institutions. There are three teaching theories: Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constructivism.
Behaviorism
Is a learning theory that depicts that changes in individual behavior are through interaction between response and stimulus in the surrounding. However, behaviorism can vary from learning, motivation, and knowledge perspectives. Knowledge of behaviorism involves action or somewhat rules on efforts in education. This perspective argues that knowledge can be constructed as a range of behaviors. In this case, a person is considered to understand something if they show the capacity to understand something in various angles and ranges but with appropriate supporting theories. Behaviorism can be viewed from the perspective of learning in that, information transmission from the teacher to the learner is very vital as it is the transmission of responses which respond to a specific stimulus. It, therefore, involves the transfer of a range of incentives and appropriate responses to particular learning stimuli to reinforce that stimulus thoroughly and efficiently. The effective schedule involves consistent repetition of the material in continuous positive reinforcement. Motivation, on the other hand, plays a role in behaviorism in a sense that it creates either a positive or negative reinforcement to the learners. For example, a student who receives praises on their excellent grades is likely to get a good understanding of those answers efficiently. On the other hand, the student who receives little or no feedback is less likely to learn effectively. This shows that learners avoid responses that are associated with unpleasant consequences, such as poor grade remarks.
Cognitivism theory
Explains that learning happens through the internal processing of the acquired information. The theory depicts that learners construct knowledge, and this activity is essential to the cognitive structure. It further explains that learning involves active mental structures that are derived from past experiences.
Constructivism theory
Focuses on the idea that we make up our knowledge of the surrounding world based on our previous individual experiences. Learners actively construct knowledge of the environment in response to their active interaction with that particular environment. Concerning this theory, language and culture play a significant role in a learning institution concerning the learners' experience.
These beliefs about learning and learning experience
Have been motivated by a clear view of how learning theories play a vital role in the entire leaning process. Learning theories are the breakthroughs that explain how learners can absorb, retain, and process information. The author goes further to explain that learning is influenced by factors like the environment, emotions, past experiences, and cognitive (Pandey, 2017). Based on the above theories and students live, it is always important for the students to understand the purpose of what they are asked to learn by the teachers (Seif, 2013). It can help them to create a purpose for their learning as well as create relevant questions regarding their surroundings.
It is also important to note
That for a learner to have a comfortable experience while learning, it should be active such that it allows the students to make sense of ideas. Learning should also be situated and authentic to develop professional, disciplinary, and personal contexts. Education should build and connect new ideas by combining new and old ideas (UNSW Australia Editors, 2014). On the other hand, having the right attitude towards learning enables the learner to easily understand concepts from the teachers' thoughts, classroom practices, and changes within the teaching environment (Richardson, 1996). When the students' attitude towards learning is optimum, teachers' belief is also important as well, as it directly relates to how the learners are able to perceive certain concepts in effective practice (Rosenfeld & Rosenfeld, 2008). To provide meaningful education to the learner, teachers' professionalism is an important factor that should be put in place in all systems of education (Biesta, Priestley, & Robinson, 2015).
