There are many theories related to the ways in which people grow and learn in the educational setting. The list below is not exhaustive but provides a glimpse into theories commonly discussed in Educational Psychology. Each theory is linked to a page which provides a brief definition and additional resources you may reference to learn more about the respective theory.
For organizational purposes, this page has been divided into three sections: Theories of Behavior, Theories of Development, and Theories of Learning. However, these theories are overlapping and should not be considered exclusive to the area in which they are listed.
Theories of Behavior (under construction)
Theories of Cognitive Development
Piaget’s Theory of Cognition: Individuals progress through definite stages in cognitive development (e.g., sensorimotor, preoperational, concrete operational, and formal operational). (#4, pg. 43) In addition, Piaget believed that a child makes a transition to a new stage when his or her current mental structures no longer explain events in their world. (#4, pg. 71)
Piaget’s Theory of Constructivism: We construct knowledge through our actions on and in our environments. (#4, pg. 47)
Vygotsky’s Theory of Social Interaction and Learning: Society is an important and essential factor in shaping knowledge. (#4, pg. 49)
Vygotsky’s Zone of Proximal Development: It is the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance or in collaboration with more capable peers. (#4, pg. 51)
Theories of Development
Cognitive Development: this includes changes in the way we think and process information. (#1, pg. 14)
Continuity-Discontinuity: Whether people grow and change slowly over time (continuity) or in distinct stages of growth (discontinuity). (#4, pg. 20)
Emotional Development: Erikson believes that the socialization process consists of eight phases - the "eight stages of man." His eight stages of man were formulated, not through experimental work, but through wide - ranging experience in psychotherapy, including extensive experience with children and adolescents from low - as well as upper - and middle - social classes. (Retrieved from: http://www.childdevelopmentinfo.com/development/erickson.shtml)
Genetic Determinism: The belief that, if you have a certain gene or gene abnormality, you are bound to contract the related disease. (#4, pg. 19)
Nature-Nurture Controversy: Whether people physically inherit all their defining features (nature, or genetics) or whether it was possible to change people through education and experience (nurture, the influence of the environment). (#4, p. 18)
Vygotsky's Theory of Cognitive Development: Vygotsky believes that through assimilation and accommodation, children develop increasingly more advances and integrated schemes overtime. It's an individuals enterprise--- children do most of the developing themselves. This theory takes a sociocultural prospective. (#2, pg. 43)
Theories of Language Development
Language-Acquisition Device (Chomsky): An innate capability allows humans to learn language. (#4, pg. 33)
Language & Cognition (Piaget): Language use depends on our ability to use symbols and map categories and relationships onto the brain. (#4, pg. 33)
Thought & Language (Vygotsky): Thought and language are independent until 2 years of age. (#4, pg. 34)
Theories of Learning
Bloom's Taxonomy: Bloom developed a classification system to help teachers think about the objectives they write, the learning activities they design, and the assessments they prepare. This system is organized in 6 different levels. (#1, pg. 523)
Brain-based Learning: This learning theory is based on the structure and function of the brain. As long as the brain is not prohibited from fulfilling its normal processes, learning will occur. Retrieved from: http://www.funderstanding.com/brain_based_learning.cfm
Constructivism (also referred to as Constructionism): Constructivism is a philosophy of learning that states by reflecting on our experiences, we construct our own understanding of the world we live in. Each of us generates our own "rules" and "mental models," which we use to make sense of our experiences. Learning, therefore, is simply the process of adjusting our mental models to accommodate new experiences. Retrieved from: http://www.funderstanding.com/constructivism.cfm
Language Acquisition Theory: Vygotsky believes that children learn languages by practicing it in their interactions with adults and peers......(#1, pg. 65)
Neo-Piagetians Development of Multiple Structures: We develop a number of structures including: social understanding, mathematical understanding, scientific understanding, and understanding of spatial relationships. (4, pg. 79)
Neo-Piagetian Theory: Describes the central conceptual understandings that are important for school success. (4, pg. 92)
Piaget’s Structure of the Whole: There is a general structure of mind (a.k.a. structure d’ ensemble) that influences one’s thinking in a variety of contexts. (4, pg. 79)
Piaget’s Theory of Development: Piaget believed that a child makes a transition to a new stage when his or her current mental structures no longer explain events in their world. A state of disequilibrium results and children are motivated to restore equilibrium in their thinking. That is, they construct a new way to conceptualize events, and thus they adjust their way of thinking to new circumstances. (4, pg. 71)
Theories of Moral Development
Gilligan's Theory: Gilligan argues that females are socialized to stress interpersonal relationships to take responsibility for the well-being of others to a greater extent than males. (#2, pg. 103)
Kohlberg's Theory: Kohlberg believes that moral development is based on three different levels; these levels represent the perspectives people take as the wrestle moral dilemmas. The three levels include: preconventional morality, conventional morality, and post conventional morality. (#2, pg. 98)
Piaget’s Stages of Moral Development: There are two general stages of moral development: heterononmy (e.g., right and wrong are based on personal consequences) and autonomy (e.g., decisions where the volition or free will of the child takes over from the previous outside authority). *Recognized the role of cognition in moral development. (#4, pg. 164)
Theory of Mind: The ability to understand our own and others’ thoughts, emotions, and intentions. (#4, pg. 138)
Motivational Theories
Attribution Theory: When people try to discover the motivation for their behavior, they may attribute results to everything from luck to hard work. (#4, pg. 253)
Entity Theory of Intelligence: Failure is inevitable and directly related to the individual’s ability (e.g., attribute failure to a stable, fixed intelligence). (#4, pg. 258)
Incremental Theory of Intelligence: Intelligence is changeable, or malleable, through personal effort. (#4, pg. 258)
Theories of Social Development/Social Cognition
Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Theory: The development and growth of an individual is within the constraints of the social environment. (#4, pg. 183)
Erikson’s Theory of Life-Span Development: There are eight stages of human development. An individual is confronted by a task (“crisis”) during certain stages of development; thus, how the person handles the task and decisions made as the result of the ask influence the person and future tasks. (#4, pg. 185)
Social Development: Social development examines our changing abilities to relate to each other; advanced people make in their ability to interact and get along with others. (#1, pg. 85)
Social Cognitive Theory: This theory explains that behavior could be explained in terms of observable acts that could be described by stimulus-response sequences (Crosbie-Brunett and Lewis, 1993; Thomas, 1990). This theory also states that a stimulus and response determined the likelihood that learning would occur. (Retrieved from: http://hsc.usf.edu/~kmbrown/Social_Cognitive_Theory_Overview.htm)
Additional Theories of Development Related to Education
Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences: There are seven independent types of intelligences. They include: linguistic, logical-mathematical, musical, bodily-kinesthetic, spatial, interpersonal, and intrapersonal intelligence. Three others (naturalist, spiritual, and existential intelligence) were added in 1999. (#4, pg. 223)
Multiple Intelligences*: Gardner describes multiple intelligences theory based on 8 independent dimension of intelligence and makes a persuasive argument for the idea of multiple talents. (#1, pg. 125)
Piaget's Theory: Piaget was interested in how an organism adapts to its environment (Piaget described as intelligence.) Behavior (adaptation to the environment) is controlled through mental organizations called schemes that the individual uses to represent the world and designate action. This adaptation is driven by a biological drive to obtain balance between schemes and the environment (equilibration). (Retrieved from: http://chiron.valdosta.edu/whuitt/col/cogsys/piaget.html)
Eisenberg's Theory: Eisenberg believes that there are 5 levels of reasoning for prosocial behaviors that help predict how children at different levels/ages are likely to behave. (#2, pg. 107)
Selman's Theory: Selman found that children show an increasing ability to take the perspective of others as they grow. There are 5 levels to characterize the developmental perspective.
Sources used
#1: Eggen, P. & Kauchak, D. (2001). Educational psychology: windows on classrooms. Merrill Prentice Hall, Columbus, OH. 5th edition
#2: Ormrod, J.E. (2000). Educational psychology: developing learners. Merrill Prentice Hall, Columbus, OH. 3rd edition.
#3: Sullivan, E. (1990). Critical Psychology and pedagogy: interpretation of the personal world. Bergin & Garvey Publishers.
#4. Jordan, E. A. & Porath, M. J. Educational psychology: A problem-based approach. Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
*These sources will be represented by their number*