Basic Principles of Learning

Presented by,
Diviya.R
B.Ed
English
The principles of learning provide additional
insight into what makes people learn most
effectively.

The majority of these principles are widely applied

in many fields.
Learning is form of growth

Along with physical growth, when training

and experience get combined, physical development

takes place.
Learning is adjustment to one’s environment

Behaviourists define learning as expressing suitable

response to a given stimulus. So, the purpose of learning is to

adapt one self to the environment (i.e. having a well adjusted

behaviour).
Learning is organizing experiences

Learning is not getting more and more new information or

experiences.On the other hand, it is the integration of the new

experiences received with the experiences already present which

results in the elimination of the unwanted ones to produce an

accumulation of refined experiences i.e. the knowledge and skills

acquired through learning get refined.

Learning is purposeful

Only if the child finds what it learners in and outside

the school satisfies its goals and desires, then only learning will

be effective. No one learns anything without a purpose.

Learning is an intelligent act

Meaningless reptition does not produce permanent

learning. Learning takes when an insight is gained, and the

process understood.
Learning is active participation

Only by the active participation of the student in the

process of learning, learning could become effective.That is

why educationists give importance to ‘learning by doing’.

Without self motivation and involvement, true learning cannot

take place.
Learning is both individual and social

Learning is more than an individual activity; It is a

social activity too. Individual mind is affected by the group

mind consciously as well as unconsciously.

Learning cannot be forced

Learning is an activity undertaken by a person

willingly. Just by compelling a person to learn, learning will

not take place. So, only after preparing a child properly, to

learn a particular lesson or skill, the subject content should be

presented.
Learning takes place only when the learner
interacts with his environment

Learning is not an activity which happens in vacuum. It takes

place only in a particular environment. If the learning environment

is rich and healthy, the learning will be effective.

True learning bring changes in the behaviour of
students
Every experience makes a change in the cognitive

structure of the learner. It gets reflected in the learner’s

behavior too. Stated briefly, the goal of learning is behavior

modification i.e. improving the behavior.

Learning is whole

It is human nature to see anything in its totality. Instead

of looking at things as separate, if we integrate them, it

becomes meaningful. According to the Gestalt Theory,

learning is nothing but organizing our perceptions in a

meaningful way.
Learning depends upon gaining insight

At first, we may not understand the components of a task and the

relationship existing among them, but all of a sudden, as a flash we may

understand them. This is called getting insight. This learning by insight

depends upon an individual’s previous experiences, intelligence, the way the

problem was presented and efforts undertaken etc. So, the teacher should

provide additional help to the slow learners and make them understand the

content of the lesson.

Thank you