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16 views6 pagesUnderstanding Discovery Learning Methods
The document discusses discovery learning, which is characterized as an active process where the individual constructs knowledge by themselves instead of receiving it passively. This type of learning promotes creativity and intrinsic motivation. The role of the teacher is to act as a guide to facilitate the student's autonomous discovery.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
16 views6 pagesUnderstanding Discovery Learning Methods
The document discusses discovery learning, which is characterized as an active process where the individual constructs knowledge by themselves instead of receiving it passively. This type of learning promotes creativity and intrinsic motivation. The role of the teacher is to act as a guide to facilitate the student's autonomous discovery.
Translated by
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Learning by
discovery: what it is and
how it develops
each and every one of us performs a large number of
learnings throughout our lives. And throughout history, it
they have generated institutions like the school, which allow for
part of that knowledge is to be transmitted to the new ones
generations and provide them with tools to develop in the
current world.
But not always the same methodologies have been used: there are
various ways to learn and teach, some of which are effective
more advantageous than others to achieve and develop the
knowledge. One of them is discovery learning, of the
which we will discuss throughout this article.
Discovery learning
Discovery learning can be understood as a way to
the acquisition of knowledge which is characterized by the fact that
that acquisition of knowledge is produced by the own
subject. Thus, the information does not come from outside, but rather it is limited to
provide means through which the user himself acquires it.
Thus, part of the establishment of starting hypotheses based on the
the subject comes to their own conclusions, in a way
self-regulated and enhancing one's own research by basing on the
identification of problems to be actively addressed.
It is one of the main ways in which they can occur.
new content in the psychic structure, allowing it to be the
the subject itself who generates the learning, assimilates it, and shapes it by themselves
same.
This type of learning is much more common and useful in the field of
science, in which the understanding of knowledge starts from the
discoveries carried out by the individual itself instead of
to come directly from the repetition of information.
Its foundations in constructivism
Discovery learning, advocated by Bruner, starts from
constructivism, which states that the act of learning depends on
the construction of knowledge by learners or students:
it is an active process and not passive, in which through processes
of assimilation and accommodation of new knowledge the subject
acquire knowledge.
It is relevant that knowledge must be meaningful, that is to say,
that the new information must be able to link with knowledge and
previous outlines in order to understand them and endow them with a
meaning. It also pays great attention to intrapsychic factors and
contextual aspects of the educational process, highlighting among the first the
intellectual abilities and especially the motivation to learn.
However, although it may seem that learning by
discovery is necessarily linked to meaningful learning, which
It is true that this modality or avenue does not solely imply that the...
learning is meaningful, so it cannot
establish a correspondence.
And it is possible that meaningful learning occurs because
reception, as long as the information coming from outside
it allowed the construction of knowledge based on the schemes
previously through assimilation and accommodation.
The apprentice: an active subject
One of the most relevant elements of discovery learning
it allows the student or learner to be an active subject in the
own construction of knowledge, so that it can
grant meaning more easily to the new material and organize it in
function to their interests and previous knowledge.
It also allows the subject to develop the ability to
to think for oneself and critically with the existing material,
in addition to being able to enhance lateral thinking and increase the
long-term sense of self-efficacy. It is also linked to high
levels of interest and motivation on the part of the student to learn.
The role of the teacher
Unlike in a more traditional and mechanistic teaching, in the
that the teacher is a transmitter or source of knowledge that the
students receive and from which to acquire information, in learning through
the role of the teacher changes.
In discovery learning, the teacher or instructor acts as
guiding mode that provides the instruments for the subject
develop knowledge by yourself, instead of acting as a source of
knowledge that is transmitted to passive receptive subjects.
In this sense, a scaffolding is generated, in such a way that the learner
build based on the help that the professional is providing
a fitting way but without thereby ceasing to build knowledge in itself
same.
Advantages of this type of learning
Discovery learning presents a series of great
advantages compared to other types of learning. To begin with, it is about
a type of learning that fosters creativity, as well as the
made of taking advantage of and fostering intrinsic motivation towards the
learning in such a way that the learner seeks to learn not for
possible external motivators but for the sheer pleasure of learning.
It also encourages the student to learn to learn, promoting the
metacognition and the ability to seek information, synthesize it, and be
critical towards her. Also promote the acquisition of skills
of problem solving and verification search of
hypothesis, as well as the acceptance and learning from mistakes.
In addition to that, it is important to note that this type of learning can
adapt more easily to the tastes, desires, and abilities of the
students, by not focusing so much on one type of knowledge but on the
that the subject wishes to explore.
In addition, it enables the subject to feel more empowered and have
a more active and creative role in their day-to-day life. It also empowers the
subject to making the protagonist of his learning process,
contributing to their greater independence.
Possible disadvantages
Given the previous points, it may seem that learning by
discovery is always something positive and advantageous for development
of knowledge, but also presents a series of disadvantages that
Some authors have criticized this type of procedures.
In this sense, it has been suggested that the learned skills can
be positive and helpful, but it can be ineffective due to the high
difficulty in transferring this type of learning to classrooms with large
number of subjects.
On the other hand, the fact of depending on the subject's motivation can
make the discoveries made set aside material or
elements that, although not appealing to the subject, can be of
utility in day to day. It can also make management more complicated
from the frustration of having to do undesirable tasks or
interesting.
Bibliographic references:
Barrón, A. (1993). Discovery learning. Principles and
inappropriate applications. Research and experience journal
didactics, 11 (1),
Barrón, A. (1991). Discovery learning. Critical analysis and
theoretical reconstruction. Salamanca. Amarú 8 Teaching Material:
Methodology and didactics of the teaching-learning process.
Ministry of Education and Culture.
Bruner, J. (1966). Toward a Theory of Instruction. Cambridge, MA:
Harvard University Press.
Camargo, A. & Hederich, C. (2010). Jerome Bruner: of theories
cognitive, of ways to signify, of approaches to teaching of
Science. Psychomanager, 13 (24).
Pozo, J and Gómez, M. (1998). Learning to Teach Science.
everyday knowledge to scientific knowledge. Spain: Morata.
Prados, M.M., Sánchez-Jiménez, V., Sánchez-Queija, I., Mora-
Merchán, J.A., Reina, M.C., Del Rey, R., Ortega-Rivera, J., Pertegal,
M.A., Reina, M.M. and Ridao, P. (2014). Main theoretical models before
the teaching and learning processes. Manual of psychology of the
education for teachers of early childhood and primary education. Editions
Pyramid