MODULE 1

Module Title Learner-Centered Psychological Principles (LCP)

Module Description: This module will discuss about the 14 principles in the teaching learning process. The
principles become foundational in determining methods for using and evaluating programs and practices that
provide instruction, curricula, and personnel to enhance the teaching and learning process.

Purpose of the Module:

This module introduces you to the fourteen (14) learner-centered principles which shall be used throughout
this course as a guide in determining appropriate pedagogy for learners at different life stages

Lesson Title: Learner-Centered Psychological Principles (LCP)

Let’s Hit These:

At the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

▪ Explain the 14 principles.

▪ Advocate for the use of the 14 principles in the teaching-learning process.

▪ Identify ways on how to apply the 14 principles in instruction as a future teacher.

“Leaner centered” is the perspective that couples a focus on individuals learners – their heredity, experiences,
perspectives, background, talents, interests, capacities, and needs with a focus on learning – the best available
knowledge about learning and how it occurs and about teaching practices that are most effective in
promoting the highest levels of motivation, learning, and achievement for all learners. This dual focus then
informs and drives education decision making. Learner-Centered is a reflection in practice of the Learner-
Centered

Psychological Principles – in the programs, practice, policies, and people that support learning for all.

This definition of learner-centered is thus based on an understanding of the Learner Psychological Principles
as a representation of the current knowledge base on learners and learning. The principles apply to all
learners, in and outside of school, young and old. Learner-centered is also related to the beliefs,
characteristics, dispositions and practices of teachers- practices primarily created by the teacher. When
teachers and their practices function from an understanding of the knowledge base delineated in the
Principles, they

(a) include learners in decisions about how and what they learn and how that learning is assessed.

(b) Each learner’s unique perspectives

(c) Respect and accommodate individual differences in learner’s background, interests, abilities, and
experiences; and

(d) Treat learners as co-creators and partners in the teaching and learning process
The 14 principles are divided into those referring to:

- Cognitive and Metacognitive

- Motivational and affective

- Developmental and social

- Individual differences factors

COGNITIVE AND METACOGNTIVE FACTOR

1. Nature and Learning Process

The learning of complex subject matter is most when it is an international process of constructing meaning
from information and experiences.

- There are different types of learning process

- Learning in schools

- Successful learners are active, goal directed, self-regulating and assume responsibility for contributing to their
own learning.

2. Goals of the learning process

The successful learner, over time and with support and instructional guidance, can create meaningful,
coherent representation of knowledge.

-the strategic nature of learning requires students to be goal directed.

-students must generate and pursue personal, relevant goals.

-educators can assist learners in creating meaningful learning goals that are consistent with both personal
educational aspirations and interest.

3. Construction of knowledge

The successful learner can link new information with existing knowledge in meaningful ways.

- Knowledge widens and deepens as student continue to build links between new information and
experiences and their existing knowledge base.

- Educators can assist learners in acquiring and integrating knowledge by a number of strategies

4. Strategic thinking

The successful learner can create and use a repertoire of thinking and reasoning strategies to achieve
complex learning goals

- They use strategic thinking in their approach to learning, reasoning, problem solving and concept learning.
- Can understand and use of variety of strategies to help them reach learning and performance goals

5. Thinking about thinking

Higher order strategies for selecting and monitoring mental operations facilitate creative and critical
thinking

- Successful learners can reflect on how they think and learn, set reasonable learning or performance goals,
select potentially appropriate learning strategies or methods and monitor their progress towards these goals

- Instructional methods that focus on helping learners develop these higher order (metacognitive)
strategies can enhance student learning and personal responsibility for learning.

6. Context of learning

Learning is influenced by environmental factors, including culture, technology and instructional practices

- Learning does not occur in vacuum.

- Cultural or group influences on students can impact many educationally relevant variables.

- Technologies and instructional practices must be appropriate for learners’ level of prior knowledge, cognitive
abilities, and their learning and thinking strategies.

MOTIVATIONAL AND AFFECTIVE FACTORS

7. Motivational and emotional influences on learning

- What and how much is learned is influenced by the learner’s motivation.

- The rich internal world of thoughts, beliefs, goals and expectation for success or failure can enhance or
interfere with the learner’s quality of thinking and information processes.

- Positive emotions, such as curiosity generally enhance motivation, facilitate learning and performance.

8. Intrinsic Motivation to Learn

- The learner’s creativity, higher order thinking and natural curiosity all contribute to motivation to learn.

- It is stimulated by tasks of optional novelty, and difficulty, relevant to personal interest, and providing for
personal choice and control.

- Curiosity, flexible and insightful thinking and creativity are major indicators of intrinsic motivation to learn.

- Educators can encourage and sup

9. Effects of Motivation on Effort

- Acquisition of complex knowledge and skills requires extended effort and guided practice

- -Educators must be concerned with facilitating motivation by strategies that will enhance learner’s
effort

- Effective strategies includes

✓ Purposeful learning activities guided by practice that enhance positive emotions and intrinsic motivation to
learn

✓ Methods that increase learner’s perception that a task is interesting and relevant. port learner’s natural
curiosity and motivation to learn by attending to individual differences in learner’s perception.

DEVELOPMENTAL AND SOCIAL FACTORS

10. Developmental influences Learning

- As individual develop, there are different opportunities and constraints in learning. Learning
is most effective when differential development within and across physical, intellectual, emotional, and social
domain is taken into account.

- Individual learns best when material is appropriate to their developmental level and is presented in an
enjoyable and meaningful way.

- Individual development varies across intellectual, social, emotional, and physical.

Therefore, achievement in different instructional domain may also vary. - The cognitive, emotional, and social
development of learners and how they interpret life experiences are affected by prior schooling, home, culture
and community factors.

- Early and continuing parental involvement in schooling and the quality of language interactions and
two-way communications between adults and children can influence this developmental areas.

- Awareness and understanding of developmental differences among children with and without physical,
emotional, or intellectual disabilities can facilitate the creation of optimal learning process.

11. Social influences on learning communications with others.

- Learning can be enhanced when the learner has an opportunity to interact and to collaborative with
others on instructional tasks.

- Learning settings that allow for social interactions, and that respect diversity, encourage flexible thinking and
social competence.

- In interactive and collaborative instructional contexts, individuals have an opportunity for perspective taking
and reflective thinking that may lead to higher levels of cognitive, social, and moral development, as well as
self-esteem.

- Positive learning climates can also help to establish the context for healthier levels of thinking, feeling and
behaving. Such contexts help learners feel safe to share ideas, actively participate in the learning process, and
create a learning community

INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES

12. Individual Differences in Learning

Learners have different strategies, approaches, and capabilities for learning that are a function of prior
experience and heredity.

- Individuals are born with and develop their own capabilities and talents.

- Through learning and social acculturation, they have acquired their own preferences for how they like to
learn and the pace at which they learn.

- Educators need to help students examine their learning preferences and expand or modify them if
needed.

- Educators need to be sensitive to individual differences, in general. Educators has to attend to learner
perceptions of the degree to which these differences are accepted and adapted to by varying instructional
methods and materials.

13. Learning and diversity

Learning is most effective when differences in learners’ linguistic, cultural, and social backgrounds are taken
into considerations.

- The same basic principles of learning, motivation, and effective instruction apply to all learners. However,
language ,ethnicity, race, beliefs, and socioeconomic status can influence learning. Educators should take
into consideration all these factors in the instructional setting because it enhances the possibilities for
designing and implementing appropriate learning environments.
- Levels of motivation and achievement are enhanced when learners see that their individual differences
in abilities, backgrounds, cultures, and experiences are valued, respected, and accommodated in learning
tasks.

14. Standards and assessments

Setting appropriately high and challenging standards and assessing the learner as well as learning progress –
including diagnostic, process and outcome assessment – are integral part of the learning process.

- Assessment provides important information to both the learner and teacher at all ages of the learning
process.

- Effective learning takes place when learners feel challenged to work towards appropriately high goals;
therefore appraisal of the learner’s cognitive strengths and weaknesses, as well as current knowledge and
skills, is important for the selection of instructional materials.

- Ongoing assessment of the learner’s understanding of the curricular material can provide valuable
feedback to both learners and teachers about progress toward the learning goals.

Standardized assessments of learner progress and outcomes assessment provides one type of information
about achievement levels both within and across individuals that can inform various types of programmatic
decisions.

- Performance assessment can provide other sources of information about the attainment of learning
outcomes.

- Self-assessment of learning progress can also improve students self-appraisal skills and enhance motivation
and self-directed learning.

Alexander and Murphy gave a summary of the 14 principles and distilled them into five areas:

1. The knowledge base

One’s knowledge serves as the foundation of all future learning.

2. Strategic processing and control

Learners can develop skills to reflect and regulate their thoughts and behaviors in order to learn more
effectively.

3. Motivation and affect

Factors such as intrinsic motivation, reasons for wanting to learn, personal goals and enjoyment of learning
tasks all have a crucial role in the learning process.

4. Development and Individual Differences

Learning is a unique journey for each person because each learner has his own unique combination of
genetic and environmental factors that influence him.

5. Situation or context

Learning happens in the context of a society as well as within an individual.