Educational Activity and the Psychology of Learning: Connecting Individual and Social Aspects of Learning and Development (Foundations and Futures of Education)

177 Pages·2008·0.9 MB·English

by  Judith Ireson

Learners, Learning and
Educational Activity
The Foundations and Futures of Education series focuses on key emerging
issues in education as well as continuing debates within the fi eld. The series
is interdisciplinary, and includes historical, philosophical, sociological,
psychological and comparative perspectives on three major themes: the
purposes and nature of education; increasing interdisciplinarity within the
subject; and the theory–practice divide.
Learners, Learning and Educational Activity offers a new and creative approach
to the subject of learning by bringing together ideas and research from psychology
and socio-cultural theory. The central idea in the book is that learning in schools and
other educational settings is best understood by paying attention to both individual
learners and the educational contexts in which learning takes place. Taking a broad
educational perspective, the author explores a variety of settings – including homes
and families as well as classrooms, schools and colleges – to see how they promote
learning and encourage different learning outcomes.
The book provides an accessible introduction to new ideas and recent developments
in psychology and socio-cultural perspectives. It reviews advances in selected topics
that are especially relevant for teachers and other educators, including:
• learners’ conceptions of the nature of learning
• the development of advanced levels of learning and thinking
• the role of motivation and self-regulation in learning
• how learning and thinking relate to social and cultural contexts
• the ways in which these contexts infl uence interactions between teachers and
learners.
By illustrating connections between individual and social aspects of learning
in educational settings in and out of school, the book will encourage teachers
and other educators to think about learners and learning in new ways.
Judith Ireson is Professor of Psychology in Education at the Institute of
Education, University of London, UK.
Foundations and Futures of Education
Series Editors:
Peter Aggleton, University of London, UK
David Halpin, University of London, UK
Sally Power, Cardiff University, UK
Education and the Family
Passing success across the generations
Leon Feinstein, Kathryn Duckworth and Ricardo Sabates
Education, Philosophy and the Ethical Environment
Graham Haydon
Learners, Learning and Educational Activity
Judith Ireson
Schooling, Society and Curriculum
Alex Moore
Gender, Schooling and Global Social Justice
Elaine Unterhalter
Learners, Learning and
Educational Activity
Judith Ireson
First published 2008
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2008.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa
business
© 2008 Judith Ireson
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical,
or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including
photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ireson, Judith
Learners, learning and educational activity / Judith Ireson
p. cm.
1. Learning 2. Teaching I. Title
LB1060.174 2008
370.15´23 –dc22 2007038790
ISBN 0-203-92909-8 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0–415–41407–5 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–41406–7 (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–92909–8 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–41407–4 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–41406–7 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–92909–4 (ebk)
To my family

Contents
List of fi gures and tables viii
Series editors’ preface ix
Acknowledgements xi
Introduction 1
1 Perspectives on learning 5
2 Acquiring skills and expertise 30
3 Taking control of learning 51
4 Cultural perspectives on learning and thinking 70
5 Interaction and learning 94
6 Exploring connections between individual and culture
at home and at school 116
7 Connecting spheres of learning 137
References 147
Index 163
Figures and tables
Figures
2.1 Using an analogy to solve a problem 39
4.1 Ecosystemic model 72
4.2 Infl uences on secondary school learning 76
6.1 Average GCSE grades for students in high, middle and
low sets, by Key Stage 3 levels 135
Tables
1.1 Central metaphors of major theories of learning 22
2.1 Novice, advanced beginner and expert teachers’ interpretations
of video footage of classroom activity 36
3.1 Self-regulatory processes reported by expert athletes,
musicians and students 54
3.2 Conceptual framework for studying self-regulation 64
Series editors’ preface
One of the most remarkable transformations over the last 200 years has been
the universal development of mass education. With each successive decade,
provision has expanded to encompass more learners at more stages in their
lives. The ambitions for education systems have also expanded to encompass
objectives as diverse as personal fulfi lment and wellbeing, cultural transmission,
active citizenship, social cohesion and, increasingly, international economic
competitiveness.
The broad range of ambitions and the sheer pace of change have created
a climate in which it is sometimes diffi cult to stand back and make sense of
what education is for and where it should be going. The Foundations and
Futures of Education series of books provides an opportunity to engage with
these fundamental issues in new and exciting ways. The series adopts a broad
and interdisciplinary stance, including historical, philosophical, sociological,
psychological and comparative approaches as well as those from within the
fi elds of media and cultural studies. The series also refl ects wider conceptions
of education embedded in concepts such as ‘the knowledge economy’, ‘the
learning society’ and ‘lifelong learning’.
In each volume, the academic rigour of the arguments is balanced with
accessible writing which engages the interest of those working in and for
education, as well as a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate students.
Although it will be clear that there are few ‘easy answers’ to many of the
questions currently being asked, we hope you fi nd the debates and dialogues
exciting and thought-provoking.
This book examines one of the most fundamental issues in education
– learning. Once understood as a highly individual process, learning is now
recognised to be a strongly social event, infl uenced not only by mental
processes, but also by the context in which it occurs. Much learning takes place
in contexts outside the education system, in homes and families, for example, as
well as in classrooms, schools and colleges. Insights from across these different
contexts shed light on what learning is, and how opportunities for it can be
maximized.
In this lively and accessible book, Judy Ireson maps out a range of views on
learning, including psychological and socio-cultural perspectives as well as the