Behaviorism, humanism, connectivism, and constructivism, oh my! 

(Image created using Chatgpt: prompt - make a visual for the learning theories)

While engaging in the readings, videos and active reflection on my own experiences, I’ve  identified two theories that resonate most with me as both an adult learner and a teacher, constructivism and humanism. As a learner, I have gone through some phases in my life. Growing up as the daughter of a teacher, I always took my education seriously, as I knew how hard my own mother worked to support her students. This always provided me with a drive to do my best academically. As I continued my own educational journey, I noticed that my own learning needs evolved through the years, that's where my connection to constructivism and humanism began.

Constructivism is the idea that learners create meaning through their experiences. This means that the learner must be engaged and active in the learning experience, they must construct meaning from it, and use their prior knowledge to shape their new learning (Language and Philosophy, 2024). As a learner, I have found that I thrive in learning environments that involve active engagement, discussions, and activities, rather than lectures. Some of my favorite activities in my time at the Mount have been hands-on experiences. For example, choosing a lesson from "curriculum now” and presenting it to the class while making modifications to make it more engaging. These hands-on experiences have helped me construct meaning and apply knowledge of frameworks. 

Humanism is a theory that explains that learning is about the development of the whole person, leading to the idea that basic human needs must be met before someone can attend to learning (Merriam & Bierema, 2014, p. 29-30). My connections to humanism became more clear to me as I became a teacher. As a teacher, I can tell when my students are not ready to learn because their basic needs have not been met. Which is why I start each day with a circle to discuss how we are doing, how we feel and we conduct mini lessons on emotions and how to handle them. I really lean into this theory because I know from experience that if students are not ready to learn they will not be successful, and I have experienced this as well. For example, last week I really wanted to get my assignments done early, but then my sister went into labor. I tried to work on them at the hospital, but my mind was not ready to focus. I needed to fulfill my basic needs of emotional regulation as it had been such a chaotic day. It wasn’t until I got home, slept and ate that I was able to fully engage in my learning.

While I understand the other theories and their place in constructing meaning, these two theories, constructivism and humanism, resonate with me as an adult learner and as an educator. I appreciate the emphasis on meaningful experiences, active participation and the learners prior experiences, as well as a learners basic needs.