Examine the relevance of Gestalt theory of learning to TVET.

[25 marks]

A learning theory is an explanation or model that describes how information is absorbed,

processed and retained during learning.

The term “Gestalt,” comes from a German word that roughly means pattern or form. The main
tenet of the Gestalt theory is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts; learning is more
than just invoking mechanical responses from learners. Gestalt theorists propose that the
experiences and perceptions of learners have a significant impact on the way that they learn.

As with other learning theories, the Gestalt theory has laws of organization by which it must
function. These organizational laws already exist in the make-up of the human mind and how
perceptions are structured. Gestalt theorists propose that the experiences and perceptions of
learners have a significant impact on the way that they learn. One aspect of Gestalt
is phenomenology, which is the study of how people organize learning by looking at their lived
experiences and consciousness. Learning happens best when the instruction is related to their real
life experiences. The human brain has the ability to make a map of the stimuli caused by these
life experiences. This process of mapping is called “isomorphism.”

This theory attempts to describe how people tend to organize visual elements
into groups or unified wholes when certain principles are applied. (Koffka, 2013)

The following principles/factors or laws apply to the Gestalt theory:

 Law of Proximity - related concepts or lessons should be taught aligned or closely to each
other. This is the reason why subtraction is taught after addition, multiplication after
subtraction then division after multiplication. Imagine teaching addition then jumping
directly to polygons.
 Law of Similarity - this states that learning is facilitated when groups that are alike are
linked together and contrasted with groups that present differing ideas. This form of
Gestalt learning enables learners to develop and improve critical thinking skills. Similar
lessons or contents should be grouped together to make learners develop understanding
more efficiently and effectively. This is the reason why lessons are grouped into units:
Unit I is for human body, Unit II is for energy and motion, so on and so forth.
 Principle of Closure - when a concept or topic is incomplete thus isn't "closed",
incomplete information may make learners want to discover what’s missing, rather than
concentrating on the given instruction. If students find a math algorithm confusing
because a certain question is left unanswered or a step isn't clear, they will tend to
concentrate on that confused part of the process rather than the total process as a whole.
This is why students get "lost". Thus, make the lesson complete. Present it clearly; simply
and always be ready for students' clarifications.
 Principle of Good Continuation - lessons should be presented in such a way that learners
will see these as connected and continuous. Now you know why we have the "Review"
part of the lesson plan. This way, students will realize that their new lesson actually has
continuity and is related to what they already know or to the previous lesson.

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  Principle of Pragnanz - states that when things are grasped as wholes, the minimal
amount of energy is exerted in thinking. In short, make your lesson holistic, complete and
most of all simple.
 Principle of Figure/Ground - for a figure to be perceived, it must stand out from the
background. Emphasis should be done on important aspects of the lesson. For example,
teachers should vary the tone of their voice or write boldly or underline the important key
words of the lesson.

When observing things around us, it is normal for the eye to ignore space or holes and to see,
instead, whole objects. This organizational law is called the “figure-ground effect.” As new
thoughts and ideas are learned the brain tends to make connections, or “traces,” that are
representative of the links that occur between conceptions and ideas, as well as images. This
organizational law is called the “trace theory.”

The Gestalt theory placed its main emphasis on cognitive processes of a higher order, causing the
learner to use higher problem solving skills. They must look at the concepts presented to them
and search for the underlying similarities that link them together into a cohesive whole. In this
way, learners are able to determine specific relationships amongst the ideas and perceptions
presented. The Gestalt theory of learning purports the importance of presenting information or
images that contain gaps and elements that don’t exactly fit into the picture. This type of learning
requires the learner to use critical thinking and problem solving skills. Rather than putting out
answers by rote memory, the learner must examine and deliberate in order to find the answers
they are seeking.

When educators are presenting information to the students using the Gestalt theory of learning,
they must ensure that their instructional strategies make use of the organizational laws presented
earlier in this article. The Gestalt theory of learning came into the forefront of learning theories
as a response to the Behaviorist theory. Other theories have evolved out of the original Gestalt
learning theory, with different forms of the Gestalt theory taking shape. The field of Gestalt
theories have come to be acknowledged as a cognitive-interactionist family of theories.

The Gestalt theory purports that an individual is a whole person and the instructional strategies
used to teach them will help to discover if there is anything that is mentally blocking them from
learning certain new information. Teaching strategies are used to present problems as a whole
and to attempt to remove any mental block from the learner so that new information can be
stored.

Designing instructional strategies that take into consideration the learner’s past and current
experiences and perceptions is the key to teaching new information. In Gestalt learning theory,
when the learners come across information or concepts that are not organized, the mind
organizes it in an attempt to enable the learner to recognize and apply the concepts being taught.

The gestalt theory is very important in TVET learning and its applications goes a long way in
enhancing the trainer’s delivery and will also the learner easily grasp the concepts being taught
in a number of ways.
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It makes your lesson holistic. The word Gestalt itself is almost synonymous to the word "whole".
And for this, Gestalt theory proposes education to be an integration of affective and cognitive
domains of learning. As trainers, we can actually do this by setting objectives that do not only
focus on the cognitive (and psychomotor) domains of teaching and learning but also on the
affective domain as well. In relation to this, the fulfillment of the cognitive-affective integration
is not only limited to the instruction but rather also related to the experiences of the trainees
inside the lecture room. This can be done when trainers “maintain an emotionally harmonious
and non-threatening atmosphere during the teaching and learning process which consequently
caters exchange of ideas and learning.”

Gestalt theory promotes discovery or insight learning. This takes place when learner forms
relationships of the elements around them then integrates and organizes these elements to form
insight (Remember Sultan?). Hence, trainers must make use of the discovery approach in
learning. As a trainer you can use experiments, laboratory and inquiry-based strategies or field-
based assignments that give the student hands on and will promote a practical approach to
learning.

The democratic approach is another way to incorporate Gestalt Theory into your classroom
environment through the use of trainee-led discussion groups. Using the example of international
trade, by allowing trainees to debate the particulars of economic theory and how they are
reflected in real-world events, trainees will be forced to make logically consistent arguments,
provide evidence to support their judgments, and behave in a responsible fashion. In using a
democratic approach, the trainer is fostering the independent, self-reliant, and caring persons that
Gestalt strives for as trainees discuss topics, debate issues, and take sides of their own
choosing. By doing this, a trainer embraces the six stated developmental objectives listed in
Gestalt Theory and brings trainees closer to realizing those goals for his or her trainees. While it
may take patience and time before trainees can engage in such activities with little or no
supervision due to their previous educational and socialization experiences, it seems to be a
worthy objective that all trainers can embrace.

As a trainer, you should encourage your students to discover the relationship of the elements that
make up a problem. This is an important aspect in TVET education and training.

References

 Ehrenfels, C. V. (1937). On Gestalt-qualities. Psychological Review, 44(6), 521.

 https://www.learning-theories.com/gestalt-theory-von-ehrenfels.html
 https://www.verywell.com/gestalt-laws-of-perceptual-organization-2795835
 http://dgwaymade.blogspot.com/2010/10/gestalt-theory-of-insightful-learning.html

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