2. COGNITIVISM
• An approach in psychology that focuses on the mental processes-how
people think, perceive, remember, memorize etc.
• Also includes how people think critically.
• Roots in Gerstalt psychology and from the works of Jean Piaget.
• Came into existence during the 60s.
• Ulric Neisser, the father of cognitive psychology .
• According to him, The term ‘Cognition’ refers to “all the processes by
which the sensory input is transformed, reduced, elaborated, stored,
recovered and used.
3. • Emerged as a reaction against behaviourism
• According to cognitivist, the teaching-learning process should
include a mediator (i.e,) cognitive function in between the stimulus
and the response.
• Gives less important to the mechanical repetition of language but
gives more important to the subjective.
• Insight and intelligence have more significant place in the
development of the mental processes such as speech fluency,
memorization, perception, reasoning and creative thinking.
4. • It postulates that humans along possess language
(i.e,) language is ‘species specific’. Children acquire
the fundamentals of language in a short span of
time. They are born with latent inbuilt basic system.
This innate knowledge helps them to create various
types of sentences.
• John Dewey, Bruner, Ausubel, Piaget and Tolman
are the forerunners of cognitivism.
5. Piaget’s view:
• Piaget showed keen interest in the study of
development of cognitive abilities in children.
• According to him, “Learning is dynamic and
continuous process of mental reorganization
which depends on maturation, previous
knowledge and language factors in its search for
equilibrium”.
6. PRINCIPLES OF COGNITIVISM
• Human Beings are endowed with a biological
capacity for language.
• The Capacity to learn language is genetic and not
acquired.
• Learning is a process of relating new
information to previous learned information.
7. FEATURES OF COGNITIVISM
• Learning materials and activities meet individual
differences.
• Ensures learner’s involvement in class activities.
• Teaching process proceeds from simple to complex.
• The goal of instruction is communication of
knowledge.
8. • Learner ,central figure of the learning process.
• Teacher ,facilitator and architect of learning.
• Learning outcome depends on the teacher and
the learner.
• Reinforcement is important.
9. Limitations of Cognitivism
• It consumes a lots of time as it gives more
important to students and thinking ability.
• The theory has not evolved essential methods of
teaching.
• It has not given any importance to the
environment factors.
