Certificate in Education (Teacher training in UK)

Essay by dinger541University, Bachelor's June 2006

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Introduction

In order to complete this assignment research was carried out on the Learning Theories in use within educational establishments in the last eighty years and to say that I was now confused would be an understatement. It was have found through this study that parts of theories that are, supposedly, diametrically opposite to each other, side by side in the classroom. I hold up my hand and freely admit to being a novice in the ways of psychology but I would have thought that this would be impossible. However, as educational psychology is not an exact science, there is a certain overlapping of the boundaries between areas and a tendency to argue for and against different styles and methods amongst its users. I cannot try to explain the rights and wrongs of each method but I will endeavour to explain, using my own area of teaching, the methods and theories that are used in our classes.

Part A

The theories that are used within my teaching environment break down to the following;

Behaviourism

Categorised by John Broadus Watson (1878-1958) who paralleled the work of Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) both these leading psychologists, amongst others, were instrumental in introducing the school of Behaviourism to the general public. This is the belief that all behaviour is the result of a 'conditioned reflex' to stimuli. Both of these eminent psychologists carried out individual conditioning experiments on 'little Albert' and 'Pavlov's dogs' respectively.

In certain areas of the military ethos we train firmly in the behaviourist style. An airman must be conditioned to move when called upon no matter what the danger at the time. His or her response to the shouted command must be immediate and reflexive as there may be little or no time for thought. Within this specific part...