BRUNER’S

CONSTRUCTIVIST
THEORY.
MODULE NO . 13
Who is JEROME BRUNERS?
Jerome Bruner was an American
psychologist who made
important contributions to
human cognitive psychology as
well as cognitive learning theory
in educational psychology.
 Bruner's Main Concepts

Representation
Spiral Curriculum
Discovery Learning
Categorization
 Representation

Enactive Representation
Iconic Representation
Symbolic Representation
Enactive Representation
Children/person
learn about the
world through
actions on physical
objects and the
outcomes of these
actions.
Iconic Representation

Learning can
be obtained
through using
models and
pictures.
Symbolic Representation

Which the learner

develops the
capacity to think in
abstract terms.
Spiral Curriculum

an approach to teaching,
widely attributed to the
American Psychologist and
Cognitive Theorist Jerome
Bruner.
Spiral Curriculum
teachers must revisit the
curriculum by teaching the
same content in different ways
depending on student’s
developmental levels.
Principles of Instruction stated by
BRUNER:

1. Instruction must be concerned

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

 is an inquiry-based learning method

that takes a constructivist approach
to education.
 obtaining knowledge for oneself.
 THEORY OF INSTRUCTION

A major theme in the theoretical

framework of Bruner . Bruner
(1966) states that a theory of
instruction should address four
major aspects:
A Theory of Instruction
(four major aspects)

1)Predisposition to learn
2)Structure of Knowledge
3)Effective Sequencing
4)Reinforcement
Predisposition to learn
Bruner believed that any
subject could be taught at
any stage of development
in a way that fits the
child's cognitive abilities.
 Structure of Knowledge.

The ways in which a body of

knowledge can be structured so
that it can be most readily grasped
by the learner.
 Effective sequencing

No one sequencing will fit

every learner, but in general,
the lesson can be presented in
increasing difficulty.
Reinforcement
The nature of rewards and
punishments should specified
in the process of teaching
learning.
 Categorization
Bruner states that perceive is to
categorize, to conceptualize is to
categorize, to learnis to form categories,
to make decisions
is to categorize.
 Categories are rules that specify four
thing about objects.

1. Critical Attributes - required characteristics

for inclusion of object in a category.

2. The second rule prescribes how the criterial

attributes are combined.
3. The third rule assigns weight to
various properties.

4. The fourth rule sets acceptance limits

on attributes. Some attributes can vary
widely, such as color. Others are fixed.
 There are several kinds of
categories:

1. Identity categories - categories

include objects based on their
attributes features.
2. Equivalent categories - provide
rules for combining categories
2. Equivalent categories - equivalence can be
3. Coding systems - are
categories that serve to
recognize sensory input
 BRUNER’S CONSTRUCTIVIST THEORY.

Jerome Bruner was an American psychologist

Bruner's Main Concepts : Representation, Spiral
Curriculum, Discovery Learning, Categorization
 3 Representation: Enactive, Iconic, Symbolic
Representation
 Discovery Learning - obtaining knowledge for oneself.
 THEORY OF INSTRUCTION - major theme in the
theoretical framework of Bruner.
A Theory of Instruction
(four major aspects) : Predisposition to learn, Structure
of Knowledge,Effective Sequencing, Reinforcement
Critical Attributes - required characteristics for inclusion
of object in a category.
 Identity categories - include objects based on their
attributes features.
 Equivalent categories - rules for combining categories.
 Coding systems - serve to recognize sensory input
THANK YOU !!
 QUIZ:

1. An American psychologist who

made important contributions to
human cognitive psychology as well
as cognitive learning theory in
educational psychology.
2-4. (3) Representation
5. A major theme in the
theoretical framework of Bruner .

6. Refers to obtaining knowledge

for oneself.
7. The ways in which a body of
knowledge can be structured so that it
can be most readily grasped
by the learner.
8.The nature of rewards and punishments
should specified in the process of
teaching learning.
9. Bruner believed that any subject could
be taught at any stage of development
in a way that fits the child's cognitive abilitie
 ANSWERS
1. Jerome Bruner
2-4 (In any order)
ENACTIVE REPRESENTATION,
ICONIC REPRESENTATION, SYMBOLIC REPRESENTATION
5. Theory of Instruction
6. Discovery of Learning
7. Structure of Knowledge
8. Reinforcement
9. Predisposition to learn