Module 3

Republic of the Philippines

MALLIG PLAINS COLLEGES INC.
Casili, Mallig, Isabela

FACILITATING LEARNER – CENTERED TEACHING

MODULE 3
Biological and Environmental Predispositions in Learning

Biological Predispositions in Learning Environmental Predispositions in Learning

 Brain development  Natural Setting

 Nervous System  Social Setting
 Parts of the Brain  Cultural Demands
 Brain Lateralization  Social Roles and Expectations
 Media

Biological Predispositions in Learning

Learning is clearly an outcome of specific exposure conditions that requires specific
biological adaptations. It is construed that learning depends on several biological factors.

Brain Development
At the end of conception, the cells of the brain start to divide and re-divide at an incredible
rate. Before birth, the brain cells make themselves familiar with the various parts of the body
surrounding them. That is, different brain cells send out connectors (called axons and dendrites)
that branch out to make connections with others causes the death of brain cells. Neurons are the
cells that transmit information throughout the body. These are composed of the axons, dendrites
and cell body. Axons (also called action potentials) are threadlike cells that transmit impulses
outward the cell body, while dendrites are extension of nerve cells that receive electrical signals
from another neuron. When the axon is at rest, no action potential moves. However, when the axon
is active, the action) potential moves quickly down the myelin sheath. Sensory information travels
from one to the other at synapses (junctions between two nerve cells). The cell body provides
nourishment and the glial cells support and provide nutrients for the neurons in the central nervous
system. As division and re-division flourish, the tip of the embryo multiplies per minute. As a
result, when the baby is born, some 200 billion cells have been created. In fact, the number of brain
in cells produced is beyond what individuals need. There is actually an overproduction of brain
cells in order to make sure that development of the numerous complex skills needed for survival.
The cells of the brain continue to multiply and reproduce even after birth. However, such

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reproduction ceases before the end of the first year of one’s life. After age one, human beings do
not develop another brain cell because all the needed cells are in place. However, the human brain
grows in size as a result of experience brought about by webbing of more and more connections.

The Nervous System

The nervous system is composed of the brain and the spinal cord. The brain is held in the
cranial cavity of the skull which is composed of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and the brain stem. The
nervous system is divided into central nervous system (CNS).

The brain keeps up the entire body in order. It also controls the body organs and systems.
The nerves divide many times from the spinal cord in order reach all the parts of the body. The
CNS is responsible for integrating sensory information and responding to stimuli accordingly. The
PNS consists of somatic nervous system (SNS) and autonomic nervous system (ANS).

Parts of the Brain

The adult human brain is almost 1.5 kg (about 3lb) mass of pinkish-gray jelly-like tissue
made up of approximately 100 billion nerve cells or neurons, neuroglia (supporting-tissue) cells,
and vascular (blood-carrying) cells, and other tissues. The brain is the organ of thoughts and
feelings. It is the part of the body that is responsible for intellectual activities. The brain is divided
into three different parts: hindbrain, midbrain, and forebrain.

The hindbrain is a collection of brain structures that includes the medulla, pons, and
cerebellum. The medulla is located near the base of the brain. It is composed of various nerve
fibers that control automatic bodily functions such as respiration and heart rate. If medulla is
damaged, essential bodily function will fail, and such failure leads to death. The second important
part of the hindbrain is the pons. The word “pons” is derived from Latin which means “bridge”;
this is why pons is composed of axons that across from one side of the brain to the other. The pons,
located above the medulla, is responsible for respiration, movement, sleeping, waking, and
dreaming. The cerebellum is located at the base of the brain behind the medulla and pons. It is
tasked to coordinate fine muscles in order to facilitate smooth movement and balance. It is likewise
responsible for some aspects of perception and cognition. In like manner, it is tasked to maintain
a sense of equilibrium and physical balance. For example, when a boxer is on the ring with his
opponent, he must protect his cerebellum from injury. If he happens to injure his cerebellum, he
might develop slurred speech and coordination problems. Another example is in the case of a car
accident; when police officers interrogate and investigate a driver, they can identify whether or not
he is drunk driving. This is actually testing the driver’s cerebellum functions because it is one of
the first parts/functions that is affected by alcohol.

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The midbrain is the part that contains neutral centers responsible for our eyes and body
movements responding to visual and auditory stimuli. The midbrain works with the pons in order
to control sleep and level of arousal.

The reticular formation is a finger-shaped set of neurons. Each neuron runs through the
core of the hindbrain, midbrain, and brainstem. It is responsible for screening incoming sensory
information and stimulating the higher centers of the brain (cortex) in response to an event that
demands attention. In the absence of our reticular formation, we remain unconscious and mentally
inactive. Additionally, when a person is in a coma, it means that his or her reticular formation is
damaged.
The forebrain is the largest and the most prominent part of the human brain. It comprises
the thalamus, hypothalamus, limbic system, and cerebral cortex. The thalamus, hypothalamus, and
limbic system are located near the top of the brain stem. Around them is the cerebral cortex. The
word “cerebrum” is a Latin origin which means “brain”, while the word “cortex” means “cover”.

The thalamus is responsible for relying sensor information to the cerebral cortex. It is also
responsible for integrating information, learning, and memory. Beneath the thalamus lies the
hypothalamus. It is a small structure that is in charge of our emotions. Likewise, it regulates our
drives for thirst, hunger, sex, and aggression. Moreover, it is responsible for regulating the body’s
internal environment, including temperature control. The hypothalamus influences the pituitary
gland, otherwise known as the “master gland”, in such a way that it has neural connections that
facilitate the release of its own hormones into the blood supply of the pituitary. The pituitary gland
attempts to control endocrine response by sending out hormone signals of its own through the
blood. The hypothalamus is so small, but it controls some parts of the automatic nervous system
and the endocrine gland.

The last part located near top of the brainstem is what we call limbic system. Sometimes
called the “old brain”, the limbi system is involved in our emotional responses. Its location between
the cerebrum and the brainstem permits the interplay of emotion and reason. The word “limbic”
means “edge” or “border” and its physical structures form a rough edge along the inner region of
the cerebrum. The limbic system comprises the anterior thalamus, amygdala, septal area,
hippocampus, the cingulate gyrus, and structures that form part of the hypothalamus. Therefore,
in terms of its location, it lies at the border between the cerebral and the lower level brain structures.
It is composed of forebrain structures such as the fornix, hippocampus, amygdala, hypothalamus,
and septum which primary functions is to stimulate emotion, motivation, memory, and other
aspects of behavior and cognitive processes.

The fornix is an arched, vault-like or a triangular structure of white matter in the brain that
is situated between the hippocampus and hypothalamus. The hippocampus is located at the base
of the cerebrum. The word “hippocampus” is of Greek origin which means “seahorse” because of
its shape. It is very important in consolidating learning and in converting information from the
working memory by means of electrical signals to long-term memory system. It is likewise

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responsible for making constant check for the information relayed to the working memory. If the
hippocampus is injured, the patients could remember everything that happened before the
operation, but not after such operation. For this reason, the patient might have difficulty
remembering what they read. If they read the same today, they have the tendency to believe that it
is the first time they encounter such article. In the same manner, if a person is introduced to them
today, tomorrow the person introduced remains a total stranger once again. As a result, they have
the tendency to believe that everything they do is always the first time.

At the lower end of the hippocampus is the amygdala. It is an almond-shaped structure that
can stimulate rage, fear, or pleasure, because of its proximity to the hippocampus, researchers
believed that the amygdala encodes emotional message. It means that when we recall an emotional
event, we have the tendency to experience the same emotions again. In the limbic system,
particularly the amygdala, there is the growing interest in research that such part has been
responsible for the production and regulation of aggression and fear. The amygdala is so powerful
that it can shut down the other systems. It is associated with feelings of fear and aggression and is
responsible for visual learning and memory. Researchers in cognitive science believed that
emotions play an important role in cognitive learning.

The cerebral cortex is the part of the brain within the surface layer that regulates most
complex behaviors such as receiving sensations, motor control, and higher cognitive processes. It
causes us to make sense of what we are reading on this page; it makes us understand and think
about the information contained in this text. Although, it is so small, it is composed of about 30
billion neurons and once it is spread out, it can cover almost the whole page of a broadsheet. We
should recognize the magnanimity of our cerebral cortex. Having been called the gray matter
because of its composition of billions of non-myelinated neurons, it is capable of controlling and
regulating more complex behaviors and higher cognitive processes.

Since the cerebral cortex is responsible for higher mental processes such as language and
thought, it is so huge that about three-fourths of the neurons in the brain are in the cerebral cortex.
There are two cerebral hemispheres beneath the cortex that closely resemble the size of a big
walnut. The fissure divides the left and the right hemispheres. These hemispheres are divided into
eight distinct lobes or areas (four on the left and another four on the right). The frontal lobes are
located at the top front part of the two brain hemispheres. The frontal lobes are responsible for
motor control, speech production, and higher cognitive functions such as thinking, emotion, and
memory. For motor control, it is the task of the frontal lobe to guide us in our voluntary
movements. In the same way, it receives and coordinates messages from the other three lobes. For
instance, if we try to reach a book from a bookshelf, the motor control causes us to coordinate our
muscles and glands in order to get hold of that book. With regard to speech production, the Broca’s
area is the region at the left frontal lobe and is responsible for the production of speech. Paul Broca
discovered that clients who had an injury in this are find it difficult to comprehend written or
spoken language. He called that damage Broca’s aphasia. In terms of higher cognitive functions,
the frontal lobes control the memory, thinking, emotion, and personality.

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The second important are or lobe is known as the parietal lobe. Behind the frontal lobes
are the parietal lobes which are responsible for interpreting bodily sensations which include pain,
fear, pressure, touch, and temperature. For example, when somebody pricks us with a needle,
reflexively, we feel pain and say, “Ouch!”. The message of pain is brought directly and instantly
to the parietal lobes of the brain.

The third lobes are identified as temporal lobes. Right above our ears lie the temporal lobes
which are responsible for hearing, comprehension, memory, and emotional control. For example,
the auditory perception is processed in the auditory cortex. The sensory information from the ears
is processed here and sent to the parietal lobes where the auditory information is combined with
visual and other bodily sensations. In the left temporal lobe lies the Wernicke’s area that is
responsible for language comprehension. If a person’s left temporal lobe is damaged, Carl
Wernicke, a German neurologist, believes that he or she will find it very difficult to understand
what he or she has read or heard. He called this condition Wernicke’s aphasia. However, he or she
can speak without any hassle or difficulty.

It must always be noted that Broca’s area (left frontal region of the brain) is responsible for
the production of speech, while Wernicke’s area (left temporal lobe) is tasked for comprehension
language.

The fourth and the last lobes are called occipital lobes. Located at the lower back of the brain, the
occipital lobes are responsible for visual perception such as color, shape, or movements. In other
words, they are responsible for vision. Any damage to this area can cause blindness.

Brain Lateralization
It has been indicated that the brain has the left and right hemispheres. The left hemispheres
matches objects analytically and verbally. Metaphorically, we can match pencils and sign pens as
writing materials or we can match spoon and fork with chopsticks as eating utensils. On the other
hand, the right hemisphere matches objects that are the same to form a visual pattern or
relationship. For instance, we can find similarity between the balls and balloons because of their
shape. Generally speaking, we can describe the cognitive processing of the left hemisphere as more
analytic and sequential. On the contrary, we can characterize the right hemisphere as more holistic
and spatial. Both the left hemisphere (analytical) and right hemisphere (creative) control different
bodily functions and actions.

Summary of Differences in Cognitive Functions between the Left and Right Hemispheres

Left-brain Hemisphere Right-brain Hemisphere

Characteristics Follows a sequential, linear, and Follows random, intuitive, and
analytical process; uses verbal spontaneous process; uses non-
language often; with internal focus, verbal language often; with

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reasoning, judgment; uses symbolic external focus; experiential and

processing; does one thing at a time;
reality-based.
Functions Controls the muscles on the right side
of the body; regulates positive
emotions; controls muscles used in
speech; controls the sequence of
movements; memorizes words and
numbers; regulates speaking and
writing; understands spoken and
written forms.
holistic; deals with similarities;
integrates multiple units; fiction-
based.
Controls the muscles on the left
side of the body; regulates
negative emotions; responds to
simple commands; memorizes
music and shapes; interprets
visual images; understands
relationships in space;
recognizes faces.

Environmental Predispositions in Learning

Environmental influence starts at the onset of conception of a child. The fetus in the
womb is influenced by the mother’s mental, physical, and emotional conditions. Such influence
will continue to linger the moment the baby goes out the womb of his or her mother. Then, the
same child will interact with the surroundings which prevail at home, in school, and community.
In these places, children interact with the members of the family, teachers, classmates, or peers,
and neighbors. In their interaction, they establish relationships with them.
Some of the environmental factors or influence can be categorized as:

 Natural setting covers the climatic and atmospheric conditions.

 Social setting includes the prevailing environment of home, school, and community. It is
construed that learning is affected by physical conditions at home such as the number and
type of family, child-rearing practices, scope of freedom, discord among birth positions,
study facilities, learning materials, ventilation, lighting, temperature, and so on.
 Cultural demands pertain to the prevailing spirit of culture that is reflected in the social
and educational institutions.
 Social roles and expectation are mental scripts that we internalize and are associated with
certain expectations and norms of behavior. These are our understanding about what
behavior is appropriate in different settings. These, unconsciously, have the power to
influence the words we use, the way we view situations, or the way we deal with others.
 Media influence pertains to the cognitive and social processes by which knowledge is
constructed. It is an important component of transmitting information. Media can be print
and non-point which may (1) arouse motivation, (2) direct attention, (3) help students
engage in the learning process, and (4) increase student performance.

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