PROF ED 221

NARRATIVE REPORT

(CHAPTER 5 – JEROME BRUNER’S CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY)

Jerome Bruner was an American psychologist

who made important contributions to human
cognitive psychology as well as a cognitive
learning theory in educational psychology.
Founding father of the Constructivist Theory &
Main Founders of Cognitive School of
Psychology.

He presented three ‘modes of representation’.

(1) Enactive representation (based on the
action). (2) Iconic representation (based on
images). (3) Symbolic representation (based on
language).

Enactive (0 - 1 years) This appears first. It involves encoding action based information and storing it in
our memory. For example, in the form of movement as a muscle memory, a baby might remember the
action of shaking a rattle. The child represents past events through motor responses, i.e. an infant will
“shake a rattle” which has just been removed or dropped, as if the movements themselves are expected
to produce the accustomed sound. And this is not just limited to children. Many adults can perform a
variety of motor tasks (typing, sewing a shirt, operating a lawn mower) that they would find difficult to
describe in iconic (picture) or symbolic (word) form.

Iconic (1 - 6 years) This is where information is stored visually in the form of images (a mental picture in
the mind’s eye). For some, this is conscious; others say they don’t experience it. This may explain why,
when we are learning a new subject, it is often helpful to have diagrams or illustrations to accompany
verbal information.

Symbolic (7 years onwards) This develops last. This is where information is stored in the form of a code
or symbol, such as language. This is the most adaptable form of representation, for actions & images
have a fixed relation to that which they represent. Dog is a symbolic representation of a single class.
Symbols are flexible in that they can be manipulated, ordered, classified etc., so the user isn’t
constrained by actions or images. In the symbolic stage, knowledge is stored primarily as words,
mathematical symbols, or in other symbol systems.

Jerome Bruner believes that learning is an active process where learners can create new ideas or
concepts using their current or past knowledge about things, events or situations there's can select
information, transform them into new one, adapt to them to make decisions or create uses of
understanding. When properly guided and motivated learners can even go beyond information given to
them this is a time when learners creativity on concept formation is made evident because they are
given opportunities to make hypothesis and test them through further discovery very more remarkable
from Bruner in is his emphasis on categorization in learning.

"to perceive is to categorize, to conceptualize is to categorize, to learn is to form categories, to

make decision is to categorize"

Categorization involves perception, conceptualization, learning, decision-making and making

inferences. Bruner encourages teachers to allow students discovered concept by themselves through
learning opportunities and activities that allows them to explore and experiment. The learners should
never fear committing mistakes or errors while discovering because everything that happens in between
is a part of their construction of new ideas or concepts.

Bruner emphasized four major aspects to be addressed during the teaching and learning process.

1. Predisposition toward learning

2. How a body of knowledge can be structured so that it can be most readily grasped by the learner
3. The most effective sequences in which the present material
4. The nature and pacing of rewards and punishments

Bruner's Principles of Instruction

 Instruction must be concerned with the experiences and context that make the student willing
and able to learn (readiness)
 Instruction must be structured so that it can be easily grasped by the student (spiral
organization)
 Instruction should be designed to facilitate extrapolation and or fill in the gaps (going beyond
the information given)