Learning in Educational and Training Settings

Learning in Educational and Training Settings – Prof. dr. J. Scheerens

Masters involved: Educational Science and Technology , Psychology

Contributing Institutes: IBR

Student learning is the core process that is to be promoted in education and training settings. In contemporary theories learning is seen as a learner centered process, characterized by awareness of the demand characteristics of the situation (recognizing a situation as a learning task), sufficient motivation and volitional energy to become active, interpretation of the learning task in the light of previous knowledge, habits and available skills, execution of cognitive operations, varying from simple memorization to so called higher order cognitive processes, application of meta-cognitive strategies and deliverance of a relative end-product of learning, in the sense of a completed task or a problem solved. A key concept that integrates the more “constructivist” view of learning with more “instructionalist” teaching and learning theories is the structuring or “scaffolding” of the learning process. The fact that individual differences of learners are likely to play a role in all these facets of learning underlines the need for adaptivity and flexibility in the application of all conditions that are directly or indirectly mobilized to support learning.

Research questions that are dealt with in this programme concentrate on optimizing learning in instructional settings, creating effective conditions of schooling through professional development of teachers and improvement of school organisation and management, and on the technology and psychometric theory of the assessment of student learning outcomes.

The programme is embedded in the Strategic Research Objectives of the Institute for Behavioural Research (IBR).