Social Learning and Constructivism

 

Social Learning and Constructivism

Author: Santosh Kumar Biswa, Sr. Teacher, Damphu CS, Tsirang, Bhutan

 

My interpretation of the quote, as well as my belief about student learners

Considering the quote by Schunk on p 257: “Learning and thinking occur in the context of learners’ beliefs about cognition, which differ as a function of personal, social, and cultural factors.”, my philosophy about learning matches with that of Schunk’s quote as I believe that learning is a part of how we think and is backed by how they reason it out based on how learners perceive things in line with their own beliefs. The quote suggests that students in the classroom should be allowed to think and learn independently, aligning their own beliefs about cognition (Goh, 2022). Learning through beliefs and proper thinking enables students to boost their creativity with a higher degree of acquisition. Schunk gives importance to individual beliefs, in which students should align their beliefs with their thinking for learning because thinking contributes to knowledge formation (Schunk, 2012).

Social Learning and Constructivism

As Schunk stressed on learners’ beliefs in context, students in the classroom can boost the beliefs that they live by with the help of social learning and can easily adjust to varied situations to achieve their goals (Sambell, 2022). This is because social learning involves learning through observing people’s behavior in a social setting, where learning from each other is involved (Wikipedia, 2021). It involves interaction with people and learning through observation (Ask Any Difference, 2022). The classroom is the social setting where frequent interaction happens and students interact with teachers, friends, and others to construct meaning out of what new behavior they have observed and then finally think deeply to align it with their belief for general understanding, which is in line with the quote by Schunk. Constructivist approaches, on the other hand, engage students in constructing knowledge and meaning based on prior knowledge, experience, and beliefs in contrast to new events (McLeod, 2019). Students analyze some processes or any of their functions through the scope of psychology (Gerstenmaier and Mandl, 2021), involving themselves in thinking and aligning their beliefs to make learning out of it.

Triadic reciprocity model of causality (Figure 4.1, p 120)

Triadic reciprocal causation comprises student’s personal factors, their behavior, and the environment they live in. The triadic reciprocity model of causality assumes any action as the end product of the type of interaction an individual makes (Bartleby research, 2021) because self-efficacy is vital according to social learning theory. Bandura’s theory is applicable in school because, by using self-regulatory and cognitive tools, students can utilize their sense of agency to gain greater influence over any events as they progress (Goh, 2022). Students are engaged in monitoring their progress based on their progress in learning and designing their own goals based on their beliefs. Albert Bandura’s model explains how student’s personal factors, their behavior, and the environment they live in influence the behavior of any person and vice-versa (Enotes, 2022). The following clarifies Schunk’s idea about social learning and the constructivist approach to shaping students:

Process of observational learning (Table 4.3, pp 127-129)

Through the process of observational learning, students can observe, model, and acquire new behaviors, experiences, and attitudes that are required during their learning. Bandura’s social learning theory stresses basically on observational learning and modeling, in which attention, retention, reproduction, and motivation are the conditions (Stone, n.d.).

TARGET factors affecting motivation and learning (Table 6.6, p 255)

As the constructivist approach motivates students to construct knowledge from their prior experience, some factors that influence motivation in learning are behavior, personality, the teacher’s role in shaping students, the student’s learning style and habits, and the cultural background of students (Bahasa dan Sastra, 2020). Students are encouraged to collaborate and think to construct meaning.

APA-learner-centered principles (Table 6.8, p 264)

This principle influences learning through culture, technology, and classroom teaching practices. Students come with varied strategies, skills, and the ability to do things with different backgrounds and learning experiences. They are encouraged to put in their effort and engage themselves in learning through self-reflection using their experiences (IGI Global, 2022). The relationship between students and the teacher is considered in this case.

The Role of Communication in Social Learning and the Constructivist Approach

In both cases, the role of communication skills through direct engagement and interaction socially is vital. Students not only develop their social skills while interacting socially but also can communicate well while interacting with the real and complex world outside their classroom. It is because, Olivares (2010) stated, that constructivist approaches facilitate communication not only about the subject but also about the subject.

 

 

References

Ask Any Difference. (2022). Difference Between Social Learning Theory and Constructivism. https://askanydifference.com/difference-between-social-learning-theory-and-constructivism/

Bartleby research. (2021). The Triadic Reciprocal Causation of Social Cognitive Theory. https://www.bartleby.com/essay/The-Triadic-Reciprocal-Causation-Of-Social-Cognitive-PKA3J2TYA4FF#:~:text=Triadic%20reciprocal%20causation%20is%20a,memory%2C%20anticipation%2C%20and%20planning.

Enotes. (2022). What is triadic reciprocal causation? https://www.enotes.com/homework-help/what-is-triadic-reciprocal-causation-1759123

Gerstenmaier, J. & Mandl, H. (2021). What does Constructivism Mean? International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/computer-science/constructivist-approach#:~:text=Constructivist%20approaches%20refer%20to%20an,a%20remarkable%20spectrum%20in%20psychology.

Goh, M. (2022). Social learning and constructivism. Amity Global Institute, Singapore. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/social-learning-constructivism-melvin-goh

IGI Global. (2022). What is Learner-Centered Principles. https://www.igi-global.com/dictionary/learner-centered-principles/16796

McLeod, S. (2019). Constructivism as a theory for teaching and learning. https://www.simplypsychology.org/constructivism.html

Sambell, M. (2022). How to Use Social Learning in Your K–12 Classroom. https://schoolbox.com.au/blog/how-to-use-social-learning-in-your-classroom/#:~:text=With%20social%20learning%2C%20students%20gain,set%20and%20pursue%20their%20goals.

Bahasa dan Sastra, O. J. (2020). Factors Influencing Motivation in Learning. Research Gate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/341825436_Factors_Influencing_Motivation_in_Learning_English_of_Mangusada_Badung_General_Hospital_Staff#:~:text=From%20the%20research%2C%20it%20is,the%20motivation%20in%20learning%20English.

Schunk, D. H. (2012). Learning theories: An educational perspective (6th ed.). Pearson.  https://www.researchgate.net/file.PostFileLoader.html?id=53ad2847cf57d75c068b45c5&assetKey=AS%3A273549456019456%401442230680395

Stone, S. M. (n.d.). Observational learning. Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/observational-learning

Wikipedia. (2021). Social learning (social pedagogy). https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_learning_(social_pedagogy)#:~:text=Social%20learning%20is%20defined%20as,benefit%20wider%20social%2Decological%20systems.&text=occur%20through%20social%20interactions%20and%20processes%20between%20actors%20within%20a%20social%20network.