Educational Psychology & Learning Theories Flashcards

According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, during which stage do children first develop the ability to think logically about abstract concepts?

Answer: Formal Operational

The Formal Operational stage (ages 12+) is when individuals develop abstract reasoning and hypothetical thinking.

Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) is best defined as:

Answer: The gap between what a learner can do alone and with guidance

The ZPD describes the distance between a learner's independent capability and what they can achieve with expert assistance.

Which level of Bloom's Taxonomy requires students to break down information into component parts to understand structure and relationships?

Answer: Analysis

Analysis involves deconstructing material to identify motives, causes, and relationships between its parts.

Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory emphasizes that learning occurs primarily through:

Answer: Observation and modeling of others' behavior

Bandura demonstrated that individuals learn by observing and imitating the behavior of role models in their social environment.

In constructivist learning theory, knowledge is best understood as:

Answer: Actively built by the learner through experience and reflection

Constructivism holds that learners construct their own understanding by integrating new experiences with prior knowledge.

The information processing model compares human cognition to a computer. Which component acts as the 'working memory' where active thinking occurs?

Answer: Short-term/working memory

Short-term or working memory is the limited-capacity system where information is actively processed and manipulated.

A student learns that a whale is a mammal, not a fish. According to Piaget, this revision of a mental framework is called:

Answer: Accommodation

Accommodation occurs when existing schemas are modified or new ones created to incorporate information that doesn't fit current understanding.