The learning process involves the child's assimilation of a specific, predetermined, depending on age, system of knowledge, skills. But it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of each participant in the educational process, manifested in the type of temperament, the degree of development of memory, attention and perception. It is the combination of these characteristics of the child’s personality that determines his success, defining an integrative property, which in pedagogy and psychology is called learning.
Different interpretations of the concept of “learning”
In general, learning is one of the main indicators of a person’s readiness for spontaneous or purposeful mastery of knowledge, expressed in different susceptibilities to mastering new information in the process of educational activity.
For example, from the point of view of physiology, this property is inextricably linked with the dynamism of the nervous system, that is, with the rate of formation of temporary connections in it (V. D. Nebylitsin). But high learning ability, as a rule, is caused not only by psychophysiological prerequisites. It is inextricably linked with the level of formation of intellectual activity and its productivity.
The concept of “learning” has many interpretations, as it is considered by specialists in the field of pedagogy and psychology from various scientific positions. In particular, B. G. Ananiev connects this indicator with the preparedness of the psyche for rapid development in the pedagogical process. B.V. Zeigarnik believes that learning is a range of potential child opportunities for the development of new knowledge in collaboration with adults. I. A. Zimnaya interprets this concept as the child’s willingness to correctly receive and interpret the help of a teacher. The most accurate and complete definition of this term is given by Z I. Kalmykova. According to her theory, learning is a set of intellectual properties of an individual, a different combination of which determines the level of productivity of educational activity. Such properties include generalization of thought processes, awareness, independence, flexibility and stability of thinking, receptivity to help.
Learning Indicators
The schoolchildren's learning ability is characterized by such general indicators as the rate of progress in mastering knowledge and developing skills, the absence of difficulties in the development process (stress, unreasonable fatigue, etc.), the plasticity of thinking when switching to new ways of working together, the stability of memorization and understanding of the material.
A. K. Markova more accurately identifies these indicators:
- active behavior when orienting in new conditions;
- the manifestation of the initiative in the selection and solution of additional optional tasks, the desire to move on to more complex exercises;
- perseverance in achieving goals and the ability to overcome obstacles and obstacles;
- a positive perception of adult help (parent, teacher), lack of protest.
Learning as a condition of mental development
The concept of “learning” is based on the levels of mental activity established by L. S. Vygotsky. The first of them is relevant, the second is the zone of proximal development. It is this factor that determines the difference between the list of actions that a child can perform on his own, and a wider range of opportunities that he can currently realize using the help of an adult.
L. S. Vygotsky rightly argued that the zone of proximal development directly affects the dynamics of mental activity, in contrast to the current level.
The pedagogical process proceeds most fruitfully and effectively when educational tasks affect and develop the child’s capabilities, which at the moment he cannot realize on his own.
Therefore, the development of learning allows you to reveal the latent, potential abilities of children, improve susceptibility to mastering new knowledge, which allows us to call it the main, leading indicator of mental activity.
Learning
Learning is one of the most important diagnostic indicators that determine the success of the educational process. It is considered mainly as an independent category. And if necessary, then in comparison with training. In the pedagogical encyclopedic dictionary, these fundamental concepts are interpreted as follows.
Learning is a combination of knowledge, skills and abilities, reflecting the expected result of education. Its main criteria are contained in the GEF.
Mark expresses learning. And learning in this case is a prerequisite for a student to get a high mark. It consists of a system of individual indicators of the pace and quality of knowledge acquisition. This property is inextricably linked with the development of cognitive processes such as perception, thinking, memory, imagination, speech, attention. The relationship between the level of learning and the formation of motivational-volitional and emotional spheres of the personality is also proved.
Diagnostics of learning in primary school students
The main tasks of studying the level of learning in primary school are:
1. Determination of the formation of the main indicators of the success of the educational process in junior schoolchildren.
2. The study of individual characteristics and dynamics of suggestibility in children.
3. Identification of the nature of the mutual influence of learning and suggestibility in subjects.
The characteristics of mathematics learning in primary schoolchildren are most often carried out in accordance with the results of a diagnostic study using the methodology developed by Yu. Gutke. Its essence is to perform 10 tasks related to the construction of a number series according to certain principles. The teacher conducting the research, using the cards shows the subject the first three digits. The child should continue this series by adding three more figures from the six proposed, while calculating the principle of construction. Interpretation of the results is carried out taking into account the nature and number of errors.
Identification of the level of learning among middle and senior schoolchildren
In 1997, P. I. Tretyakov and I. B. Sennovsky developed a methodology for diagnosing learning as a level of independence in educational activity.
The result of the study is determined by the dose of pedagogical support from the teacher. The value of the level of learning is inversely proportional to the dose of care. That is, the more a child needs the support of a teacher when moving from the current level to the zone of proximal development, the lower the level of learning.
The essence of the methodology is that the teacher within 7-12 minutes (depending on the age of the subjects) sets out new material, using various methods of presenting information. This is necessary so that “visuals”, “audials” and “kinesthetics” are in equal starting conditions. Next, the primary consolidation of the new material is carried out (5-7 minutes). After that, students begin independent work, which is divided into 4 stages.
- Written description of new information.
- The answer to a specific question regarding the content of the topic.
- The assignment is first modeled, and then under modified conditions.
- Application of acquired knowledge in a new situation related to previously studied material, practical activities, and other sciences.
Learning levels
• III level of learning - the highest. It is customary to call it creative, since it presupposes the ability to independently integrate new information into the totality of one’s own knowledge. This determines the ability to find innovative ways to solve educational problems using the standard set of ZUN.
• II level - applied. It is characterized by the presence in children of the ability to actively use the acquired knowledge in a familiar typical situation.
• I level - reproductive. A schoolboy understands and remembers new material, applies it according to an algorithm.
In the event that the subject is not able to show even a minimal list of possibilities, he is assigned to the group of educational risk.
Learning and performance
The fact that children with a relatively high level of learning are often included in the number of schoolchildren lagging behind marks proves that academic performance also depends on other conditions, in particular performance. This property can to some extent compensate for the low level of productivity of children's mental activity. That is, if there is a high level of working capacity, a child characterized by poor learning can well achieve success. And vice versa. The combination of average learning and poor performance can cause poor child performance.
The pedagogical characteristic of this property is given in the works of D. V. Kolesov. He considered working capacity as the ability to exert physical and mental efforts necessary for the development of new ways of knowing and modulating the surrounding reality. This indicator is measured in time, which is necessary for a person to perform a given educational task in a qualitative manner, provided that the optimal functioning of the body is maintained.
Prerequisites for the development of learning
The development of learning is determined not only by the individual characteristics of the child, but also by the interaction of the teacher and schoolchild. That is, the dynamics of increasing the level of this indicator depends on the student's perception of the pedagogical impact on the part of the teacher.
Manifestation of learning is possible only during the educational process. Therefore, each step in the transfer of knowledge should be aimed at achieving consistency between the various types of pedagogical influences that ensure the expansion of the zone of proximal development.
The program of organization of the educational process can be considered the best when it provides the highest manifestation of learning.
Learning Criteria
Learning is an equivalent expression of the volume and pace of increasing the efficiency of intellectual processes under the influence of pedagogical influence.
As criteria for its development, a number of characteristics of the child’s mental activity are used:
1. The presence or absence of a need for a hint.
2. The amount of time spent on the task of finding the principle of analogy of figures.
3. Types of errors, taking into account the analysis of the sources of their occurrence.
4. The number of exercises a child needs (according to A. Ya. Ivanova).
Learning is based on the innate abilities of the individual and his cognitive activity. Therefore, the attitude of the child affects the level of this indicator in a particular subject and determines its success in specific educational areas.
Fast learner
Each person is naturally inherent in the ability to absorb knowledge. However, fast learning can take place only in favorable pedagogical conditions, ensuring the success of the interaction of two-way activities for the transmission and receipt of new information. The presence of these conditions is largely determined by the form and content of communication between the teacher and the child, which forms the social relations between them. The manifestation of the latter can be expressed as understanding or misunderstanding, sympathy or antipathy, consent or disagreement.
In this case, the quantitative expression of this property is the ratio of the maximum possible results to achieved, that is, current. This formula makes it possible to foresee and predict the prospects for the development of the learning ability of each student individually or the children's team as a whole.
Information technology as a means of developing learning
In modern conditions, the most effective way to increase student learning is the use of information technology in the educational process. They allow you to create various pedagogical situations, the solution of which involves the expansion of the zone of proximal development, thereby facilitating the implementation of a wide range of pedagogical tasks.
The use of ICTs is based on the use of computer programs as a means of modeling various forms of thinking that initiate both reproductive actions and the ability to make decisions through formal logical operations. This is not only a powerful catalyst for the process of mastering new knowledge and skills, but also a tool for the development of mental abilities in a modern information environment. But it is important to understand that a computer only then acts as an effective means of developing learning when its use is accompanied by deliberation.
How to develop learning
A special role in increasing the level of learning is played by the formation processes within the framework of certain sensitive stages of development, metacognitive skills. These include the management of mental activity (planning and self-control), speech, the ability to understand and apply different sign systems. Thus, high learning ability of students can be achieved with such an organization of the educational process, when the interaction of the child and the teacher will be aimed at maintaining a constant activity of cognitive processes.
A person, being in a certain age period of development, is the subject of educational activity at each stage of the pedagogical process, which determines the specificity of educational motivation, the system of relationships and interaction. It is these features that determine the developmental aspects of the learning ability of each individual.