“Learning theory

“Learning theory, any of the proposals put forth to explain changes in behaviour produced by practice, as opposed to other factors, e.g., physiological development.” (Kimble, G., 1999)
For this evaluation I’m going to concentrate on Behaviourist and Constructivism learning theories.
The behaviourist learning theory is based around classical and operant conditioning. It assumes that the learner is passive and that a behaviour is acquired or changed based on environmental conditions. By linking a learner’s behaviour to stimuli and providing positive or negative reinforcement a person is likely to modify their behaviour accordingly. The most famous theorists regarding this are Pavlov (1927) and Skinner (1948). “All the assumptions made by behaviourists are to be supported with a practical experiment” (
Behaviourism is used widely in education and work environments. For example, teachers use behaviourism in class room settings to ensure students behave. They might reward or praise good behaviour such as handing in home work on time or ensuring they are not late to class and punish those who don’t. In work environments, company directors may use incentives such as an end of year bonus if certain targets are reached.