Teaching & Learning

TNTEU · B.Ed · BD1TL · Last-Hour Revision

Teaching & Learning — 1-Hour Cheatsheet

Every unit boiled down to the exam essentials. Read top to bottom; the suggested clock is below.

0–15 min · Units 1–2 15–35 · Unit 3 (theories) 35–50 · Units 4–5 50–60 · "who said what", facts, mnemonics
UNIT 1

Nature of Learning & Teaching

Learning = a relatively permanent change in behaviour brought about by experience/practice — not maturation, fatigue, illness or drugs.

DefinitionsGates — "modification of behaviour through experience & training" · Skinner — "progressive behaviour adaptation" · Woodworth · Crow & Crow.

Thorndike's LawsReadiness · Exercise (use & disuse) · Effect (satisfying vs annoying).

Rote vs Meaningful (Ausubel) — rote = memorising, soon forgotten; meaningful = linked to cognitive structure, retained & transferable.

TeachingArrangement of situations/interaction to bring about learning — B.O. Smith "a system of actions intended to produce learning"; Amidon "a process of interaction". Tripolar: teacher–pupil–content.

Maximsknown→unknown · simple→complex · concrete→abstract · particular→general · whole→part · psychological→logical.

UNIT 2

Diverse Classrooms; In & Out of School

Diverse classroom = learners differ in ability, SES, language, culture, religion, gender, learning styles & special needs.

Teaching in diversitydifferentiated instruction · inclusive & culturally-responsive teaching · UDL (Universal Design for Learning) · cooperative/peer learning · flexible grouping · remedial teaching · multiple intelligences.

Managing diversitypositive inclusive climate · clear rules & routines · equity · conflict resolution · multilingual sensitivity.

In school = formal, planned, curriculum-based, graded, teacher-guided. Out of school = informal/incidental — family, peers, community, media, nature, work; lifelong & unstructured.

Community as a learning resource; experiential learning & field trips bridge the two.

UNIT 3

Theories of Learning — the heaviest essay unit

BehaviouralLearning = change in observable behaviour via stimulus–response & reinforcement.

  • Pavlov — Classical conditioning: UCS→UCR; neutral stimulus pairs so CS→CR (dog & bell). Acquisition, extinction, generalisation, discrimination.
  • Thorndike — Trial & error / Connectionism (cat in puzzle box): laws of Readiness, Exercise, Effect.
  • Skinner — Operant conditioning: behaviour shaped by consequences; reinforcement strengthens, punishment weakens; Skinner box; schedules; programmed learning; shaping; teaching machines, small steps, immediate feedback.
  • Köhler — Insight learning (Gestalt, apes): suddenly perceiving relationships; whole > sum of parts.
  • Piaget — Cognitive development: schema; assimilation, accommodation, equilibration; stages Sensorimotor, Pre-operational, Concrete, Formal.
  • Bruner — Discovery learning: modes enactive, iconic, symbolic; spiral curriculum.
  • Ausubel — Meaningful reception learning: advance organisers.
  • Maslow — Hierarchy of needs: physiological → safety → belonging → esteem → self-actualisation.
  • Rogers — Experiential / student-centred: freedom to learn; teacher as facilitator; unconditional positive regard; fully functioning person.
UNIT 4

Constructivism & Learner-Centred Teaching

Constructivism = learners actively construct their own knowledge from experience; not passive transmission. Teacher = facilitator/guide.

Cognitive (Piaget) — knowledge built individually via assimilation/accommodation.

Social (Vygotsky) — built through social interaction; ZPD = gap between doing alone vs with help; scaffolding; MKO; role of language & culture.

Constructivist pedagogy5E (Engage · Explore · Explain · Elaborate · Evaluate) · inquiry-based · problem-based · project method · collaborative learning · concept mapping.

Learner-centredactive participation · teacher as facilitator · understanding not rote · autonomy · assessment for learning. Motivation: intrinsic vs extrinsic.

UNIT 5

Models of Teaching & the Profession

Model of teaching (Joyce & Weil) = a plan/pattern to design instruction. 6 elements: Focus · Syntax · Social system · Principles of reaction · Support system · Instructional & Nurturant effects.

Four familiesInformation-Processing · Social · Personal · Behavioural. E.g. Concept Attainment (Bruner), Advance Organiser (Ausubel), Inquiry Training (Suchman).

Phases: Pre-active (planning) · Inter-active (execution) · Post-active (evaluation). Levels: Memory (Herbart) · Understanding (Morrison) · Reflective (Hunt).

Micro-teaching (Stanford, 1963, Allen & Ryan) — one skill, 5–10 min, 5–10 pupils. Cycle: Plan→Teach→Feedback→Re-plan→Re-teach→Re-feedback.

Teaching as a profession — specialised knowledge, long training, code of ethics, service motive, autonomy; CPD & reflective practice, ICT competence, accountability.

RAPID

Who said what (learn cold)

Pavlov — Classical conditioning (dog & bell)
Thorndike — Trial & error + 3 laws (Readiness, Exercise, Effect)
Skinner — Operant conditioning; programmed learning
Köhler — Insight learning (Gestalt)
Piaget — Cognitive stages; cognitive constructivism
Vygotsky — ZPD; social constructivism; scaffolding
Bruner — Discovery learning; spiral curriculum
Ausubel — Advance organiser; meaningful learning
Maslow — Hierarchy of needs
Rogers — Facilitator; student-centred learning
Joyce & Weil — Models of teaching
Allen & Ryan — Micro-teaching (Stanford, 1963)
Bloom — Taxonomy of objectives
Herbart — Memory level of teaching
Morrison — Understanding level of teaching
Hunt — Reflective level of teaching
FACTS

Numbers you must quote

ItemNumberDetail
Piaget's stages4Sensorimotor (0–2) · Pre-operational (2–7) · Concrete operational (7–11) · Formal operational (11+)
Micro-teaching5–10 minOne skill, small group of 5–10 pupils; Plan–Teach–Feedback cycle
Bloom's cognitive levels6Knowledge · Comprehension · Application · Analysis · Synthesis · Evaluation (1956)
Bloom revised (2001)6Remember · Understand · Apply · Analyse · Evaluate · Create (Anderson & Krathwohl)
Phases of teaching3Pre-active · Inter-active · Post-active
Model of teaching4 & 64 families (Info-Processing, Social, Personal, Behavioural) · 6 elements/fundamentals
RECALL

Memory hooks

Thorndike's laws "R-E-E": Readiness · Exercise · Effect Piaget "SPCF": Sensorimotor · Pre-op · Concrete · Formal Maslow "Please Stop Being So Silly": Physiological · Safety · Belonging · Esteem · Self-actualisation Bloom "K-C-A-A-S-E": Knowledge · Comprehension · Application · Analysis · Synthesis · Evaluation 5E: Engage · Explore · Explain · Elaborate · Evaluate Bruner "E-I-S": Enactive · Iconic · Symbolic Model families "SPIB": Social · Personal · Info-Processing · Behavioural Phases "PIP": Pre-active · Inter-active · Post-active
15 MIN

If time's almost up, nail these

Most-asked 10-markers
  1. Skinner's operant conditioning & educational implications
  2. Piaget's stages of cognitive development
  3. Vygotsky — ZPD, scaffolding & social constructivism
  4. Thorndike's trial & error + three laws of learning
  5. Micro-teaching — meaning, cycle & core skills
  6. Constructivism & learner-centred teaching (5E)
  7. Model of teaching — Joyce & Weil, families & elements
  8. Bloom's taxonomy (cognitive domain, 1956 & revised)
  9. Maxims of teaching / characteristics of good teaching
  10. Maslow's / Rogers' humanistic view of learning
WRITE

In the answer book

  • Name the theorist & his key term in the first line — that anchors the marks.
  • Write in points; underline theorist names, stages & technical terms.
  • Add a classic experiment (Pavlov's dog, Thorndike's cat, Köhler's ape, Skinner box).
  • Always finish a theory answer with educational implications.
  • Paper = 70 marks, answer any 7 of 10, each ~600 words; roughly a minute per mark.