Learning Theories in Schools: They Work Together
Throughout my studies—both in CEP 800 and during my undergraduate years at Michigan State—I’ve engaged with a wide range of theories related to the psychology of learning. Initially, I approached these theories as separate tools, each with its own use. But over time, I’ve started to ask: Why are we so quick to separate them? What if breaking things up like this actually shows a bigger problem with how we think about teaching?
One example of this attempt at separation is the popularity of "learning styles" When I was in high school, this idea was highly emphasized. Teachers often had us take surveys to determine our preferred learning style—such as visual, auditory, or kinesthetic—and then tried to tailor instruction accordingly (Leonard, 2025). However, rather than supporting students with a diverse range of needs,limited the ways we were taught, rather than encouraging a flexible environment that integrated multiple strategies. How can varied methods of instruction that draw on different learning theories better support all learners, compared to categorizing and teaching them through a single theory at a time?
Note. Adapted from Is Your Learning Style the Problem? (n.p.), by Bannnie (2016), retrieved from https://bonniegillespie.com/is-your-learning-style-the-problem/.
The Basics: Behaviorism
I call this section “The Basics” not because behaviorist theories are simple, but because—being some of the earliest theories of learning—they influence nearly every classroom. Classical conditioning helps students learn basic routines. For example, a “clean-up song” (conditioned stimulus) paired with the act of cleaning (unconditioned stimulus) eventually leads to students automatically cleaning up when they hear the song, a conditioned response (McLeod, 2024). Operant conditioning shapes behavior through positive reinforcement and negative punishment. For instance, ClassDojo uses positive reinforcement by giving points for good behavior and negative punishment by removing points for undesired behavior (Cherry, 2024a). These reinforcements and punishments even have associated sounds (Abernathy, 2015). After using ClassDojo for an extended period, those sounds act as a classical conditioning example as well. While these theories explain how behaviors are learned and maintained, they don’t account for complexities like internal motivation, cultural background, or learning differences, so broader frameworks are also necessary. Additionally, these theories alone do not provide ample strategies to teach content knowledge and foundational skills.
Figure 2. Abernathy, H. [@hannahabernathy9918]. (2015, October 6). Class Dojo positive and negative sounds [Thumbnail image]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BldiXxVbZws
Building Knowledge: Cognitivism
Behaviorism explains how behaviors form, while cognitivism focuses on how information is processed and knowledge is built. Information processing theory expands on Pavlov’s ideas by describing how students take in information—such as a teacher’s words (echoic memory) and images (iconic memory)—which moves from sensory memory to short-term memory and is encoded into long-term memory for later retrieval (Cloke, 2022). This “brain as computer” model helps explain learning in subjects like math, where metacognition is essential for problem-solving, but it risks ignoring the cultural, emotional, and social dimensions of learning (Stirling, 2025).
Constructivism and constructionism offer more learner-centered approaches based on building and adapting schemas. Constructivism emphasizes learning through experience, while constructionism focuses on learning by creating physical artifacts (Ackerman, 2001). For example, students might explore why a puddle disappears by observing evaporation and building models of the water cycle, resulting in a change to their schema of water (Cherry, 2024b; Papert & Harel, 1991). While constructivism values student agency and hands-on learning, it can lack structured guidance, making the role of the teacher unclear. This role is more clearly defined in sociocultural theory.
To me, sociocultural theory completes this picture by highlighting the social and cultural context of learning. Without it, teaching risks becoming a simple transmission of knowledge, limiting students to tasks they can do independently rather than expanding their potential within their Zone of Proximal Development—the skills they can achieve with support from teachers or peers (Cherry, 2023b). While this theory is focused on culture, it is important to pose the question: What culture am I centering when using this theory in practice?
Figure 3. #building [Animated GIF]. Anonymous (n.d.). PresenterMedia.
Learning Together: Social Learning
Social learning explains how learning happens through imitation and observation. We learned from Bandura’s Bobo experiment (1971) that kids imitate the behavior that they see from adults and peers. This highlights how important building community in schools is. When students see their teacher or their peers practice a behavior or content, they are more likely to practice that behavior or become confident in that content itself. As educators, I think it is important to acknowledge that we are just one adult in their life, and that others close to them may have different yet valid values than we do. Situative learning is the link between social learning and cognitivism; students need authentic, social experiences within their communities and fields of study in order to “build knowledge” through learning alongside and imitating an expert (Brown, Collins, & Duguid, 1994). In a field full of standardized testing and rigid pacing guides, how can we provide these experiences?
DebateFilms. (2011, May 14). The Brain: A Secret History – Emotions; Bandura Bobo Doll Experiment [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerCK0lRjp8
Conclusion
Looking back at all these theories, it’s clear to me that no one theory tells the whole story of learning in schools. There are gaps, contradictions, and questions. It’s not enough to know the theories; we have to ask who they serve, how they’re applied, and what they miss. Behaviorism helps with behavior management but often overlooks varied motivations. Information processing explains mental processes but can ignore social and emotional wellbeing. Constructivism values hands-on learning but may require too much independence, leaving some learners behind. Sociocultural theory focuses on the importance of community and culture but also raises the question: whose culture are we centering in our teaching? When these theories are combined thoughtfully, teachers can create classrooms that truly support diverse learners and prepare them for life both in and beyond school.
Author's Note: This blog post was fully written by myself first. I used OpenAI's ChatGPT as a tool to check my grammar and as a thought partner to make my work more concise.
References
Abernathy, H. [@hannahabernathy9918]. (2015, October 6). Class Dojo positive and negative sounds [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/BldiXxVbZws
Bandura, A. (1977). Social learning theory. https://www.asecib.ase.ro/mps/Bandura_SocialLearningTheory.pdf
Brown, J. S., Collins, A., & Duguid, P. (1994). Situated cognition and the culture of learning. Educational Researcher, 18(1), 32–42. https://www.johnseelybrown.com/Situated%20Cognition%20and%20the%20culture%20of%20learning.pdf
Cherry, K. (2024a). Operant conditioning: How it works and examples. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/operant-conditioning-a2-2794863#toc-respondent-vs-operant-behaviors
Cherry, K. (2024b). What is a schema? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-schema-2795873
Cherry, K. (2023a). What is sociocultural theory? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-sociocultural-theory-2795088
Cherry, K. (2023b). What is the zone of proximal development? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-zone-of-proximal-development-2796034
Cloke, N. (2022). Information processing theory explained. Growth Engineering. https://www.growthengineering.co.uk/information-processing-theory/
DebateFilms. (2011, May 14). The Brain: A Secret History – Emotions; Bandura Bobo Doll Experiment [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zerCK0lRjp8
Gillespie, B. (2016, November 2). Is your learning style the problem? [Image]. BonnieGillespie.com. Retrieved June 7, 2025, from https://bonniegillespie.com/is-your-learning-style-the-problem/
Hazzan, O., Lapidot, T., & Ragonis, N. (2015). Piaget & Papert: Learning theories and teaching computer science. Coursera. https://www.sylviastipich.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Coursera-Piaget-_-Papert.pdf
Leonard, S. (2025). Debunking learning myths students believe. Edutopia. https://www.edutopia.org/article/learning-myths-students-believe?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=Winter+25&utm_id=Winter25&utm_content=research
McLeod, S. (2024). Classical conditioning explained. Simply Psychology. https://www.simplypsychology.org/classical-conditioning.html#Classical-Conditioning-Examples
OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (GPT-4) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/
Papert, S., & Harel, I. (1991). Constructionism. In Constructionism. https://hcs64.com/teaching%20CS/papert-situating_constructionism.pdf
Stirling, L. (2025). Using metacognitive strategies at home. Third Space Learning. https://thirdspacelearning.com/blog/metacognitive-strategies-using-them-at-home/
Comments
Post a Comment