MTE-C202: LEARNERS AND THE LEARNING PROCESS

Course Objectives: On completion of this course the students will be able to:
Ï Understand how children learn framework
Ï Critically analyse the process of learning from the point of view of Cognitive
Psychology and the implications of constructivist learning
Ï Visualise multiple dimensions and stages of learner’s development and their
implications on learning
Ï Understand the learner in terms of various characteristics
Ï Learn the factors affecting learner’s environment and assessment
Ï Conceptualise a framework for understanding and evaluating teaching-learning
situation as well as the method of analysing and reflecting upon learning episodes
Ï Conceptualise the needs of the Learners and the process of learning as visualised in
NCF, 2005
Ï Visualise the brief epistemological frame of major curricular areas.
Unit I—How Children Learn- Framework
Ï What should be taught and how the knowledge should be organised? (Knowledge
centeredness).
Ï Who learn and how? (Learner- centeredness).
Ï What kind of classroom, school and community environment enhances learning?
(Environment centeredness).
Ï What kind of evidence for learning the teachers, parents and policy makers can use to
decide whether effective learning is really occurring? (Assessment centeredness)
Unit II - Understanding the Learners and their Development
Ï Holistic approach in treatment of learner’s development and learning.
Ï How socio-cultural and economic contexts cause differences in learner, differential learning
needs.
Ï Learning difficulties at primary stage at elementary level and diagnostic tests.
Ï Problems of the adolescents and self-identity: educational support required for
adolescents development.
Ï Language development-language before and into the school, meta linguistic
awareness; acquisition of more than one language, home language vs. school
language, strategies supporting student’s speaking, listening reading and writing.
development critical analysis of the views of Piaget, Vygotsky, and Chomsky.
Ï Influences of culture on learners development.

Unit III – Understanding the Process of Learning

Ï Cognition in Learning: Cognitive process-perception, attention, memory,
development of concepts, logical reasoning, critical thinking development of
concepts, strategies for teaching concepts; problem solving.
Ï Learning as construction of knowledge: learning as cognitive and socio-culturally
meditative process: meta cognition, socio-cultural mediation, experimental learning,
cognitive negotiability, understanding constructivist nature of knowing, doing and
practicing in classroom/field, in community setting; critical appraisal of views of
Piaget, Bruner and Vygotsky with reference to multiple school contexts of India.
Ï Forms of learner’s engagement in the process of knowledge construction: observing,
demonstration, exploring, discovering, analysing, contextualisation, collaboration,
multiple interpretations, critical reflection based on observation, selected reading and
discussion.
Ï Motivation in Learning: Intrinsic and extrinsic motivation; approaches to motivation:
humanistic approach (Maslow); cognitive approach (attribution theory-Weiner).
Ï Multiple ways of organising learning in different subject areas individualised: self-learning,
group learning, cooperative learning etc.
Unit IV- Learning Environment and Assessment
Ï The physical environment.
Ï The instructional time.
Ï Respecting the rights of the children.
Ï Space for the parents and the community: identification of barriers, strategies for
strengthing partnership between school and parents and community.
Ï Inclusive environment in the classroom for all learners.
Ï Discipline and participatory management.
Ï Learning paths and learning styles.
Ï Assessment-continuous and comprehensive evaluation, assessment during teaching,
designing good test items, open book examination, self-assessment.
Essential Readings
Ï Bruner, J.S. (1990) Acts of meaning. Cambridge, M.A.: Harvard University Press.
Ï Bruner, R.F. (1978). Psychology applied to teaching. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Ï Dandapani, S. (2001) Advanced educational psychology, (2nd edition), New Delhi,
Anmol publications pvt Ltd.
Ï Gardner, H. (1983) frames of Mind: The theory of multiple intelligence. New York:
Basic Books.
Ï NCERT (2005) Natioal curriculum framework, New Delhi.
Ï Piaget, J. (1999) Judgment and reasoning in the child. London: Routledge.
Ï Vygostsky. L. (1986) Thought and language (A. Kazulin, Trans). Cambridge, M.A.:
MIT Press.

References
Ï Ambron, S.R (1981) Child development, Holt, Rincehart and Winston, New York.
Ï Anderson, J.R. (1983). The architecture of cognition. Cambridge, MA: Harvard
University Press.
Ï Anderson, J.R. (1983). Rules of the mind. Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum
Ï Barry and Johnson (1964) Classroom Group Behaviour, New York: Macmillan.

Bower, G.H. and Hilgard, E.R. (1981) Theories of learning. Prentice Hall, Inc.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.
Dececo, J.P. (1977). The Psychology of learning and instruction, Prentice Hall,
Delhi.
Ï Thamarasseri, Ismail. (2008) Psychological Foundations of Education. New Delhi:
Kanishka Publishers
Ï Eason, M.E. (1972). Psychological foundation of education, N.Y. Holt, Rinehart and
Winston, Inc.
Ï Grammage, P. (1990) Teacher and pupil: some socio-psychological principles and
applications (3rd Edition) Illinois: Scott. Pressman Little, Brown Higher Education.
Ï Guilford, J.P. (1967). Nature of Human Intelligence, New York: McGraw Hill.
Ï Newell, A. & Simon, H.A. (1972). Human problem solving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ:
Prentice Hall.
Ï Segal, J.W. Chipman, S.F., & Glaser, R. (1985). Thinking and learning skills:
Relating Instruction to Basic Research. (Vol. I). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
Ï Synder, C.R. & Shane J. Lopez (2007). Positive psychology. SAGE Publications.
U.K.
Ï Sakkeer, V., & Thamarasseri, Ismail. (2013). Educational Psychology. New Delhi:
APH Publishing Corp.
Ï Lieber, C.M. (2002) Partners in learning: from conflict to collaboration. Cambridge,
M.A, Educators for Social responsibility.
Ï Pintrich, P.R.; and Schunk, D.H. (1996). Motivation in education: theory, research
and applications. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. Merill.