Every carefully planned preschool is guided by a formal educational philosophy that describes the chief goals of the program. In theory, the philosophy serves the same purpose as a business mission statement, is read when joining an organization, and may even be prominently posted as a reminder. But whether the formal ideas are followed closely and consistently, or liberally and capriciously, it is the teacher’s own philosophy that most closely governs classroom management. So, children are served most consistently when all the educators in a program share a clear idea of what they believe, what they understand, and how they intend to apply that knowledge day-to-day.
The degree to which an educational philosophy is embraced by the parents that enroll their children also affects how children are raised in the classroom. At times, parents have the option to choose a school and its philosophy. Other times, they do not and must default to the local standard. For an educational philosophy to influence learning knowledge and behavior effectively, it must be articulated clearly so parents can apply similar strategies consistently and collaboratively.
Learning Philosophies
Educational philosophies derive from theories about how people learn. Peggy A. Ertmer and Timothy J. Newby provide a tidy comparison of three key learning philosophies in effort to improve instructional design (ID) of curriculum.4 By focusing on what is different about each style of learning, they isolate what we most need to understand about teaching. Summarized, they explain:
Behaviorism. Classrooms that operate under a behaviorist philosophy focus on consequences (rewards and punishment) that serve to reinforce behavior (positive or negative). Stated more pleasantly, consequences are the relevant results of behavior. Thinking about ‘rewards’ and ‘punishment’ is important, because each leads to very complex and enduring changes in the brain neurologically.
When rewards and punishment are used to condition learning, a student reacts to conditions in the environment rather than taking an active role in discovering it. The strategy is useful to quickly shape responses as desired. After assessing what a learner knows, educators can determine where to begin teaching, and can sequence the stimuli (topics) and consequences. Long-term memory is not considered as much as habit formation, and therefore periodic practice and review (homework and tests) are important in a classroom that applies behaviorist principles. Generalization (classification) is used to transfer knowledge between topics. Behaviorism was a dominant psychological viewpoint when many current instructional theories were developed in the 1950s.
Cognitivism. Learning that is based on cognitive processes (problem solving, use of language, and the internal development of concepts) takes a different approach. Strategies are developed to leverage how information is received by, organized in, and retrieved from the brain. So, rather than relying on direct instruction and stressing consequences, teachers who use a cognitive approach believe that it is important to deliver information in manageable “chunks.” These chunks can be organized and accessed easily when thinking about a topic. Learning transfers between topics when a student applies related strategies to information that is new. Cognitivism evolved in the late 1950s and is another well-established mode of instruction.
Constructivism. Learning that is based on theories developed by John Dewey, Jean Piaget, and Lev Vygotsky’s constructivist philosophies is called constructivism.3 It uses cognitive experiences to gain knowledge, but the meaning is created (constructed) by a student, rather than acquiring it from others. This process is highly interpretive, and proponents of constructivist theory do not believe that there is a standard for correctness. Rather, meaningful experiences are collected and shared between individuals, which continuously reshapes an individual’s understanding of the world. Knowledge that has been acquired is accessed and applied in novel ways, depending on the current circumstances. That makes context inextricably linked to both the learning and application of new concepts. Teaching may begin with behaviorist or cognitivist strategies, but it moves quickly to more immersive strategies after the level of knowledge increases. Constructivism arose in the 1980s, based on constructivist theories from the 1930s. It is receiving renewed attention as Constructionism (with an ‘n’) in modern, computerized classrooms largely through the work of Samuel Papert.14 The approach is also migrating into business education and innovative, entrepreneurial business environments.3,1
Learning Styles and Behavior
Many educators embrace multiple philosophies and tailor strategies to meet specific goals and understand that offering rewards selectively can be useful for motivating behavior. They even understand that the practice can negatively motivate or be uninfluential on skill learning.8,16 For example, offering praise or extra time on the playground can motivate children to listen quietly for instructions about how to complete an activity. But it will not ensure that they will stand quietly the next time instructions are offered, or even that they will internalize the benefits of the lesson.
The relative merit of rewards in the classroom is frequently debated by educators. Many programs that take a behaviorist approach to learning support the concept of a token economy. This practice sets up a system of rewards (and withholding of rewards) to facilitate classroom management. Educators who lean toward a cognitivist style of classroom management may elect to use rewards (or to avoid them) as a way of recognizing accomplishments—for example, singing a ditty spontaneously, to celebrate the act of sharing or skip counting. Programs that take a constructivist approach do not avoid rewards, but rather aim to rely on intrinsic rewards as part of the meaning-making process. That is, a teacher may strive to set up situations in which children participate in increasingly exciting activities when they learn to manage behavior on their own.
Understanding the influences that govern your personal classroom management strategies becomes most important when trying to work with children who process rewards and punishment differently.What works for the typical child, even in a carefully constructed classroom environment, may not be what works for the children who bring the most disruption to daily activities. Research has shown that conduct disorders are linked to the way that the brain processes rewards and punishment. 7, 11, 13, 15 Therefore, it is important that educators analyze and synthesize their personal learning philosophies, the learning philosophies of the early childhood program, and the rewards-processing style of the children in their care. There are not clearly established guidelines for what works best for children with different conduct disorders, but the topic is being studied more avidly in recent years. To start, it will be important to recognize how behavior interventions influence neuroplasticity in the brain.12,10, 5, 9 This is especially true as it relates to environments that expose children chronically to factors that negatively influence behavior.2, 6, 9
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