Social learning and constructivism

Introduction

Considering the definition from Schunk (2012) “Learning and thinking occur in the context of learners’ beliefs about cognition, which differ as a function of personal, social, and cultural factors”. My students’ learning and thinking take place in the context of my students’ beliefs about cognition or how they think rather than by their personal, social, and cultural experiences. This has given me two continuums, on one hand, that learning is part of thinking and that my students’ beliefs about what they are thinking to shape their learning. On the other hand, my students’ thinking is part of their learning process that shapes what they want to learn. (Schunk, Learning Theories, An Educational Perspective, 2012)

Hence in this discussion, I will explain how I view social cognitive learning and constructivism as part of shaping my students’ behavior by giving examples of my practices for our forum discussion.

Model of Causality – Triadic (Schunk, 2012, p 120)

The main premise of Bandura’s theory is that my student strives for a sense of agency, or they believe that they can exert a large degree of influence over important events in their lives. My students exercise this sense of agency using their cognitive and self-regulative capabilities like setting goals and implementing strategies to achieve them. My students monitor their progress toward their goals and adjust their strategies as they believe are needed. I discover that my students’ self-efficacy or their perceived capabilities to learn and perform the tasks like exercises and assignments result from their self-reflection that is both evaluative and goal-oriented, which is a key internal motivational process in social cognitive learning. The personal, behavioral, and social environment are factors affecting this intersectionality of my students’ behavior. (Schunk & DiBenedetto, Motivation and social cognitive theory, 2020)

Process of Observational Learning (Schunk, 2012, pp 127 - 129)

Observational learning is where my student acquires new behaviors through observing and imitating others. My approach is to use self-organizing maps to model the real-world processes of observable learning. Here I will show and tell students how I would approach a supplier to negotiate for a term contract that would favor my business. For example, “Would my supplier offer me a better cost if I increase my quantity for a period of time?” (Manome, Shinohara, Suzuki, Chen, & Mitsuyoshi, 2020)

Target Factors affecting motivation and learning (Schunk, 2012, p 225)

Constructivism is a learning theory that explains how my student might acquire knowledge and learn through direct application. This suggests that my student constructs knowledge and meaning from their experiences. Conceptual understanding of theory into practice and getting students to construct and scaffold the tasks would constitute the constructivist model. For example, in my “Operations Management Class,” I will get sets of Lego bricks and get my students to work in a team to build up a model of a “forklift” to get them to scaffold ideas in building up a physical object.

The task is designed to excite their curiosity. The authority is given to team leaders within each group to take control. The recognition of the fastest team will get to keep their Lego bricks is thrilling. Groupings are amicably formed and small groups (of fours) so students will feel a sense of belonging. Evaluation of the task completion is to complete the actual object at a given time. The appropriate time for this piece of task is 30 minutes and those groups who finished earlier, or on time get to keep their Lego bricks.

Here learning can be seen as motivating students to construct something using their thinking as well as engaging them to cooperate and collaborate in groups.

APA Learner-centered principles (Schunk, 2012, p 264)

In the learner-centered principles, the context of learning for my business students’ is influenced by environmental factors, including culture, technology, and instructional practices. My business students want to be strategic thinkers, so I create a learning environment to use a repertoire of thinking and reasoning strategies to achieve complex learning goals.

My student’s intrinsic motivation to learn is stimulated by tasks of novelty and difficulty like getting students to visit a manufacturing plant or facility and observe the complexity of work processes and other organizational issues. Here my students’ creativity, higher-order thinking, and natural curiosity all contribute to motivation to learn.

My students will also get industry attachment where social influences on learning through interacting with employees in the organization as well as interpersonal relations with those stakeholders will offer intellectual, physical, and emotional experiences.

My students are from diverse Asian backgrounds hence learning is most effective when differences in learners’ linguistic, cultural, and social backgrounds are considered in constructing a balanced approach to diversity in the differentiated classroom.

Conclusion

In this forum, we begin with to what extent do both social learning and constructivist approaches agree or disagree with Schunk’s quote. I will conclude that social learning and constructivist approach are connected through the intersectionality of the person, behavior, and social environment and that learning, and thinking are interwoven in our students’ tapestry of fulfilling their need for knowledge and the application of knowledge into valuable skills that create value for society.