Psychological Foundations of Curriculum

1. KAMRAN ALI /29

2.  Deals with stimulus-response and reinforces
 Learning focuses on conditioning, modifying, and
shaping behavior through reinforcement and rewards

3.  Curriculum organized so the students experience
success in mastering the subject matter
 highly prescriptive and diagnostic
 step by step, structured methods of learning
 for students with difficulties of learning,
curriculum can be broken down into smaller units
 desired behavior is reinforced
 testing, monitoring, drilling, feedback

4.  THORNDIKE - Connectionism
learning as a connection of habits into a complex
structure
 THREE LAWS OF LEARNING
1. Readiness: when the nervous system is ready, it leads to a
satisfying state
2. Exercise: drills, repetitions, review
3. Effect: rewards and punishments

5.  PAVLOV & WATSON - Classical conditioning
The strength of the association
stimulus- respond bond depends on the conditioning of
the response and the stimulus
 SKINNER - Operant conditioning
Operant behavior is the emitted response seemingly
unrelated to any specific stimuli

6.  BANDURA- Observational learning
behavior is learned through modeling and
observation
 GAGNE - Hierarchical learning
behaviors are based on prerequisite conditions and result in a
cumulative process of learning

7.  Focuses on information processing in interactions
with the world
 the learning process focuses on student’s
developmental stages and multiple forms of
intelligence, problem solving, critical thinking, and
creativity

8.  Environment influences cognitive growth and
development
 interest in the amount and type of information and
knowledge people possess and how it modifies further
cognitive actions
 focuses on how individuals process information and how
they monitor and manage their own thinking and the
results of their thinking
 connects intelligence and mental development
 textbooks and workbooks as sources of instruction ○ conducive to
critical/creative/intuitive thinking

9. Montessori - Structured Play
Emphasis on visual and auditory activities
 Piaget - Cognitive Stages of Development
There are four cognitive hierarchical stages
that sequence the progress of mental operations

10. VYGOTSKY
 Theory of language and cultural transmission
 Human development and cultural development influence
learning
 Beliefs and behaviors of previous generations shape the
present environment

11.  Bruner-Structure of a Subject
 learning how things relate
 inquiry and discovery based learning
Gardner- Eight Multiple Intelligences
cross-cultural concept of intelligence
linguistics, music, logical-mathematical, spatial,
body-kinesthetic, inter/intrapersonal, and naturalistic

12. Guilford
120 potential cognitive processes the structure of
intellect is three-dimensional
Ennis-Lipman-Sternberg - Critical Thinking
Teaching students how to think
Make generalizations, draw conclusions, make
inferences, cause-effect, analogies, assumptions

13.  Considers the whole child, his/her social,
psychological, and cognitive development
 Learning focuses on students’ needs, attitudes,
feelings and self-awareness

14.  The way we look at and understand ourselves is essential
for learning
 Entails more alternatives in learning
 subjective curriculum
 Individuals’ experiences are accessible to others through
inferences
 Learning focuses on students’ needs, attitudes, feelings
and self- awareness;

15. Maslow-Human needs
Survival and psychological well-being depend on six
hierarchical needs
these needs influence behavior
 Rogers - freedom to learn
students are encouraged to be open, self-trusting,
and self-accepting