The Cognitive Approach to Teaching

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If you were to ask a group of teachers to address their philosophy of practice, how difficult do you think it would be to reach a consensus? Some teachers may describe specific lecture-style strategies they have used to promote quick and effective thinking while others believe students’ can only achieve critical thinking skills through self-discovery. Exemplary teachers recognize the importance of information processing theories and their connection with learners’ goals, beliefs, metacognition, and motivation. Furthermore, model teachers recognize the interrelationship between prior knowledge and long-term memory. In line with current philosophies of practice, I believe a cognitive approach to teaching and a learner-centered classroom promotes student engagement and meaningful learning.

A beginning approach to teaching is recognizing what students already know. Learning is a constructive process. According to J.R. Anderson’s ACT-R (Atomic Components of Thought) theory, students are more apt to recall new information when it relates to prior knowledge (Bruning, Schraw, & Norby, 2011). Anderson’s model proposes that procedural and declarative knowledge are interrelated. The key concept of the ACT-R model is spreading activation (Bruning, Schraw, & Norby, 2011). The more activations students make, the more easily they can remember new concepts. Students are unable to obtain highly complex knowledge if they have nothing to build upon. Findings by Recht and Leslie (1988) showed the ACT-R model is supported even when aptitudes differ (Recht & Leslie, 1988). They investigated how prior knowledge influences the amount of short-term verbal and non-verbal memory and long-term retention in students of high and low ability in reading compr...

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...and understand the relationship between performance and self-efficacy. Second, it is essential for students to understand why they are academically successful or not. I provide my students’ prompt and constructive feedback. The feedback directly relates to the performance objectives of the course. Finally, I encourage students to engage in challenging tasks. If students are motivated and reassured that a task is attainable, they will gain confidence that will positively affect future learning.

My philosophy of teaching continues to evolve as I discover new methods of instruction that allow me to create a learner-centered classroom that encourages personal growth and high self-efficacy. It is my belief that every student has the ability to reach his or her full potential. Furthermore, every student deserves quality instruction in an inclusive learning environment.

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