Chapter 4:
Learning theories and
principles
Chapter 1: Chapter 2: Chapter 3:
Chapter 4:
Managing training & The education, training & The administration of
Learning theories and
development in development environment in training & development in
principles
organisations South Africa the enterprise
Chapter 5: Chapter 6: Chapter 7: Chapter 8:
Determining training & Programme design and Preparing & presenting Learner assessment &
development needs development training programme evaluation
Chapter 10:
Chapter 9: Contemporary issues in
Management development Human resource
development
Learning outcomes
Describe the concept of learning and the various theories
of learning utilised by learners.
Explain the various models of teaching and models of
learning used in constructing knowledge.
Describe the basic learning styles for learners.
Describe the various principles or factors that affect
learning in the learning process.
Explain the concept of adult learning as a field of study.
Describe the five andragogical assumptions that
differentiates an adult learner from a child learner.
State the classes of learned capabilities and dispositions
demonstrated after a learning experience.
What is learning?
Learning is a permanent change in
behaviour or attitude that occurs as a
result of the acquisition of knowledge, a
skill or disposition.
Inthe context of employee development,
learning is an individual’s ability to do
something that he or she was unable to
do before.
Something interesting
Ancient Egyptians
believed that the heart
was the centre of
intelligence and
emotion. They also
thought so little of the
brain that during
mummification, they
removed the brain
entirely from the bodies.
Theories of learning
Behaviourist theories
Cognitivism and Gestalt theory
The humanistic theory.
Social Learning Theory
Behaviorist theories
Thorndike’s stimulus-response theory
Learning is a trial-and-error process.
Learning has to do with a person’s
response to a stimulus (S-R theory).
Law of effect = link between a stimulus
and a response.
This theory suggest that learning is the
result of reward and punishment.
Behaviourist theories
Guthrie’s S-R contiguity theory
Accepted Thorndike’s theory, but not the
Law of Effect.
Developed the S-R contiguity theory of
learning.
The stimulus will tend to elicit the
response once the stimulus and response
have been linked.
Stimuli and responses affect specific
sensory-motor patterns; what is learned are
movements, not behaviours.
Rewards or punishment play no
Behaviourist theories
Guthrie’s S-R contiguity theory
Accepted Thorndike’s theory, but not the
Law of Effect.
Developed the S-R contiguity theory of
learning.
The stimulus will tend to elicit the
response once the stimulus and response
have been linked.
Behaviourist theories
Skinner’s operant conditioning and
reinforcement theories
Developed the concept of operant
conditioning.
Skinner introduced a new term into the
Law of Effect - Reinforcement.
Behaviour which is reinforced tends to
be repeated; behaviour which is not
reinforced tends to die out-or be
extinguished.
Positive and Negative reinforcement…
Behaviourist theories
Skinner’s operant conditioning and
reinforcement theories
Developed the concept of operant
conditioning.
Skinner introduced a new term into the
Law of Effect - Reinforcement.
Behaviour which is reinforced tends to
be repeated; behaviour which is not
reinforced tends to die out-or be
extinguished.
Positive and Negative reinforcement…
Behaviourist theories
Confined to observable and measurable
behaviour
Learning is the result of reward or
punishment
Theorists: Thorndike, Pavlov, Watson,
Guthrie, Hull, Tolman and Skinner.
Stimulu Organism Respons
s (O) e
(S) (R)
Cognitive theories
Gestalt (Cognitive) theory
The term “Gestalt,” comes from a
German word that roughly
means pattern or form.
One aspect of Gestalt is phenomenology,
which is the study of how people
organise learning by looking at their
lived experiences and consciousness.
Learning takes place from thinking
about things, forming perceptions and
gaining an insight.
Cognitivism and the Gestalt
theoryprocess involving
Learning is a cognitive
the whole personality
Cognitivists: Koffka, Kohler, Lewin,
Piaget, Ausibel, Bruner and Gagne.
Behaviourists view the locus of control
over learning to be determined by the
environment and external stimuli
whereas Gestaltists think that this locus
of control lies with the individual.
Cognitive theories
Developmental theory
Internal cognitive structures change…
nervous system… being exposed to a
variety of experiences
Children construct knowledge based on
their experiences, according to their
biological, physical and mental stages of
development.
Cognitive theories
Constructivism
Humans construct their own meaning
and understanding about their realities.
There is no such thing as knowledge “out
there” independent of the knower, but
only knowledge we construct for
ourselves as we learn.
The Humanistic theory
Humans act with the view to achieving
personal objectives.
Humanists: Carl Rogers, Abraham
Maslow, John Holt and Malcolm Knowles
Learning is viewed as a personal act to
fulfil ones potential.
Learners need to be empowered and to
have control over the learning process.
The Social (Learning) theory
People learn from their interaction with
other people.
This theory emphasizes the role of
language and culture in developing
thinking.
All learning occurs in a cultural context
and involves social interactions.
Models of teaching and models
of learning
Behavioural-systems family: human beings
are self-correcting communication systems that
change behaviour in response to information
about how successfully tasks are navigated.
Models of teaching and models
of learning
Information processing family:helps students
learn how to construct knowledge, and focus
directly on intellectual ability.
Models of teaching and models
of learning
Personal family: learning experiences increase
self-awareness, understanding, autonomy, and
self-concept.
Models of teaching and models
of learning
Social family: emphasise the relationships of
the individual to society or to other people.
Factors that affect learning
• Organised information
• Creativity, reflection, organisation and motivation
• Use both sides of the brain
• Enjoy what you learn
• Effective study skills
• Personalised information
• Belief in yourself and your intelligence
• Having resources and support
• A healthy physical state.
Learning styles
If learning is
fundamental to
everything we do, then
understanding one’s
unique learning style is
fundamental to
learning.
(The Learning Individual®
Self-Awareness — “Know Thyself”)
Learning styles
Classifying styles
VARK Model
Visual
Auditory
Reading / Writing
Kinestic
Learning styles
Personality learning styles
Think Myers-Briggs model
Extroverted or Introverted (Orientation to
life)
Sensing or Intuitive (Perception)
Thinking or Feeling (Decision-making)
Judgement or Perception (Attitude to the
outside world).
Kolb’s four personality
types:
1. Activists – have lots of experiences,
keep busy and never bother to review or
plan.
2. Reflectors – learn from others; think,
record, analyse and question information.
3. Theorists – how things relate to each
other? conclude from an experience by
estimating or predicting
theories/models/hypotheses.
4. Pragmatists – how can theory be
applied to practice?
What’s your learning
style?
Adult learning
The education of,
and
learning by adults,
aimed at assisting
learners in
fulfilling
their roles as
educators,
workers,
citizens and
Adult learning
Adult learning (cont.)
• ‘Need to know’ principle
• Autonomous and self-directed
• Experience
• Goal oriented
• Self-concept
• Ready to learn
• General life orientation
• Motivation to learn
• Need for respect
• Responsibility.
Differences between the child
and the adult learner
Differences between the child
and adult learner (cont.)
Adult Child
QUESTIONS?